Not a Vacation Anymore
by nats10art
Summary: WARNING: This story may include: depressing-ness, death, disease, murder, and all around not-too-happy-ness. ALSO: this is a sequel to Twisted Vacation, which is a sequel to Extended Vacation. This is the third and last of the Vacation Trilogy.
1. Prologue

Here we are: the third and final story to the Vacation Trilogy.

**_PLEASE READ:_** A lot of people are going to die in this one. Not only that, but be prepared for shorter chapters, since I don't want to catch up to what I've actually written. Also, I will be putting a special sort of author's note at the end of each chapter, with a guest for each one. Why? _'Cause I can_.

So, without further ado, please enjoy (or openly hate) this story.

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><p>Prologue<p>

I may have told you in my last memoir that it was the end of my writing, and we all know all things must end, but I've come across yet another big point in my somewhat crazy and impossible life. You know perfectly well what I mean, if you've followed the story of my messed-up life. It's been, what, seven years since that first day when me and Samantha, my best friend, appeared in a clearing in the Naruto world after sleeping on Maxey Island over vacation? So much has happened since then.

The most _recent_ notable event? Marriage. Yes, I'm now married. Of course, I'm technically only nineteen years old (and, well, so is my… husband) but he's lived longer than he's aged, due to the confusing workings of a different dimension than our own. I still don't completely get it, and I'm pretty smart. Sam was also wedded, along with Sarah and Sierra. Of course, originally I'd actually growth spurted my way to being the same age as the person I hang around most, but, now, I was actually his age. If I was twelve seven years ago, then I was nineteen now. Even I couldn't believe it, personally.

But either way, my life had taken a serious twist since I first made contact to the Naruto world through a message in a bottle. One, my friend and I were freakin' Jinjuriki, me being the two-tailed cat and Sam being the five-tailed wolf or dolphin-horse or whatever. This being so, we were targeted by the Akatsuki. Sounds fun, right? Wrong. But, I guess it gave good results, since nearly everyone joined our side in the end. Actually, that included Deidara, Itachi, Pain, Konan, Kisame, Zetsu, Hidan, and even Madara Uchiha, in that order, if I remember correctly. Sasuke, too, had joined us.

Deidara… who knows how I managed to convert him to the good side? Of course, Itachi was no longer sick, having had taken Hi's eyes, with Hi's consent. Sasuke no longer wanted to kill him; he'd actually, finally, had stopped the whole revenge thing. Pain was, unfortunately, dead now, killed in the last battle, where the great Madara Uchiha had managed to commit suicide, and get everyone to think it was an accident. Konan was never really bad in the first place, and neither was Pain, which I certainly found comforting, if you really thought about it. Kisame had turned good due to my constant prodding of the "World of Truth" thing. Zetsu had realized the bad Madara was doing after the swirly-masked meanie had killed me. Hidan, well, Sierra had played with his mind, literally, with Kawarigan. And Madara? He slowly changed character after a mistake change I made in a battle in the Land of Waves.

Hm, that was a long paragraph.

And that was a short one!

Well, so was that, but to the point. I supposed that was really just a recap of all that had happened. I had thought there was really nothing worth writing after that. But… something new has happened, and it seems its time I get back to telling my story. And so… we begin.

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><p>Hm... the problem with my prologues is the fact that they can be so <em>short<em>. Well, maybe not to you. But still, this is the longest prologue I've written! And now I have victim- er, GUESTS to speak with! Because I can! Yay! Presenting... _Agatha!_

**Agatha: **_.._.Hi. I just had a really weird idea... If we have Kawarigan why didn't we change Madara into a little kid, or at least make him stuck in his Tobi persona?

Uh... Actually... That could have worked. Aha... oops? ...Too late for that now, I guess!

**Agatha: **Yeah.

Well, er, that was a FUN conversation! Well, not really. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you skipped it. Sadface. However...

REVIEW or I will wed you to your least favorite character! :U (Oh yes. I have threats now.)


	2. Chapter 1

I was surprised when I saw a particular man just inside the village gates, talking to Izumo and Kotetsu with a seemingly honest smile on his face. His black hair – with a slightly blue tint – hung slightly past his shoulders. And did I mention it was poofy? Well, it was poofy. So poofy, in fact, that it made me want to pet it. But then, I love poofy things, so I'd pet even slightly poofy hair…. For example, I'd pet Itachi's hair if I wanted, but that was mostly because it was so _soft_. Sasuke's was poofier than it looked, I'll tell you that. And besides, none of their hair was quite as poofy as Deidara's.

Now, back to the topic. The guy sensed me staring at him, and turned, an impassive face set just for me. How welcoming. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but squeal. "_Maddie, you're back!_" I bounded forward, aiming for a glomp, but he sidestepped and I faceplanted into the ground.

"Not helping you up," he frowned at me, but I saw the incredibly small bit of humor in his eyes. Yes, he wasn't wearing a mask. He had rid himself of the orange, swirly, clay mask long ago, after he had been revived by none other than me. Then he had left the village, and he had, only now, come back, a year or two later.

I huffed and stood, and turned to stick my tongue out at Kotetsu, who had begun to laugh. Izumo had a lopsided smile, of course, but no laughter escaped his mouth. Madara examined me; I had obviously changed a bit in his absence. My outfit now consisted of a light blue shirt with straps the width of two fingers, with a black Riaru star on the left shoulder of the garment, along with black pants that I have to say were _really _comfy. Madara, on the other hand, hadn't changed except for his change of hair length and most likely change in personality. He said once he learned to forgive himself, he'd be back. Now he was back, so….

"Say, could you get a traveler some food?" he asked, leaning forward slightly. "I'm broke."

"At least you're not stealing," I laughed, then proceeded to glomp him. Have I ever mentioned that I love hugs? My forceful hug didn't miss this time, and I felt him stiffen in my grip. He obviously wasn't used to hugs. I made a mental note to hug him often enough that he'd stop being so tense. I eventually released my hug, and began walking in the direction of Ichiraku.

"Even before," he corrected, regaining his composure quickly, "I wouldn't steal. I'd just… kill the owner of the food so it wasn't theirs anymore." He shrugged nonchalantly, as if to emphasize the calmness of his tone.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "And… you're not guilty about that?"

"Nope."

I looked straight ahead again. "Um, okay then. That's not creepy."

When we reached the wondrous ramen restaurant and got his food, the first thing he said when he took a bite was, "Best food I've tasted in long while." When I just stood there, he gave me an odd look and asked, "Aren't you eating?"

"No, I already ate lunch," I smiled. He shrugged. "I'll be outside," I told him, and came out of the flaps that marked whether you were inside or outside the food place. I was met face to face with Sam. She hadn't changed much either, merely adding some fishnet to her arms. More black to add to her already black attire. "Sam?" I yelped. "I thought you were on a honeymoon or something!"

"I was!" she grinned. "And guess _what_?" she cried, gripping my shoulders.

"Uh…." I couldn't think of anything random off the top of my head. "What?"

"I'm _pregnant_!" she squeaked, and waited for my reaction.

I felt my face growing abnormally warm. "Y-you _what_?"

"I'm kidding; I'm kidding!" she laughed. I began babbling incoherently. In fact, _I'm _not even sure of what I was saying. She just stared at me. "Oops, I think I just squashed her brain…."

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard Deidara's voice behind me. "Hey, Natalie, when are we going to—" I cut him off by screaming at the top of my lungs, then going to an emo corner in between the Ichiraku restaurant and the place next to it. I think it was a weapons shop. "…I was going to say have dinner," he frowned, looking to Sam. "What's her problem?"

"Oh, just being overdramatic as all!" Sam laughed. Deidara didn't know what we'd been talking about before, so he was especially confused. They eventually coaxed me out of my little corner, and I began apologizing repeatedly – enough to annoy Deidara. Ha, oops?

Madara came out of the flaps that served as a sort of door, and smiled at his former partner. "Hello, Deidara-_senpa_—"

"Don't do it, hm," Deidara cut in, already annoyed at the memory of Tobi.

Maddie replied with a smirk. "Sorry." He turned to Sam. "Oh, hello, Samantha."

"Don't call me that," she frowned. She didn't like the name 'Samantha.' She liked Sam better. And yet, she always got angry when she heard of a guy whose name was Sam.

"Okay, Samantha," he replied, creating a contradiction with what he said and what he meant.

"Stop it."

"Sure, Samantha."

"Call me Sam!"

"Of course, Samantha."

"Only _Itachi _can call me that!"

"Sorry, _Samantha_."

"C'mon, stop arguing, Samantha," I came in, receiving a cry of frustration from Sam. Deidara snickered, while Maddie let out a slightly amused 'hn.' "Well," I said eventually, "We should probably go to Oro's house."

Maddie gave me a slightly confused look, but followed along when we began walking forward. "So Orochimaru is _here_?"

"Yeah," Sam huffed, placing her hands behind her head, much like Naruto did occasionally. "But I don't know _why _Natalie even bothered to bring that pedo to the good side. I still hate him."

"You're hanging around Agatha too much," I scolded.

"Yeah? Well all the snake-man brought is grief," she answered, slightly sticking out her bottom lip. "In the process of saving his soul, Natalie, you were killed."

Madara shifted in his pace, looking slightly uncomfortable. He _was _the one who killed me, after all. "But good came of that, too," I argued, defending the old man. Hey, he may have regained youth when he was trapped in the warp, but he was still way over a hundred. "I found Anna and she was freed. Plus," I added, glancing at Maddie, "my death brought Maddie to discover guilt, and thus bringing him to the good side in the end."

"Meh," Sam replied, turning away. "Stop speaking so fancy."

"I'm surprised you're not, hm," Deidara pointed out. "After all, you hang around Itachi most of the time."

"Well then, _I'm _surprised Natalie hasn't grown to say 'hm' like you!" Sam laughed.

"Meh," I muttered in reply as we reached the small house where Orochimaru lived. He'd fallen ill a while ago, and there was no doubt he'd be dying soon. There wasn't really any way to stop it. He'd been okay for awhile, but eventually his sickness came back around and hit him hard.

When we reached his room, however, Britt was kneeling on the floor, crying. I ran to her, putting my arm around her shoulders. I glanced at the bed; his chest wasn't rising and falling as someone who could breathe would. Orochimaru was dead again. _Hmph, I'm not the killer _again_, _Deidara thought. I shot him a look.

I glanced out the window and frowned. _Really? _I thought. _Gee, that sure isn't cliché. A blood-red sunset; _again_. Gosh. What is with Oro and red sunsets? _I shook my head. _Either way, this sunset doesn't symbolize his bloodshed this time…. It shows the ending of a life, and tomorrow… it'll be a whole new day. A new beginning._

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><p>The next day, I was scheduled to meet Sam at her house. Her backyard was technically small, but it opened into a public, grassy field that usually remained empty, thus allowing her to basically have it for herself. The house had many windows, which was one of the reasons I liked it so much when I lived there. That house held so many memories…. For example, the night I told Sam Itachi was a good guy. Oh, how she freaked out. Or, perhaps, the time when the Uchiha brothers got Chocolate Drunk. That was… unexpected, to say the least. …But also incredibly funny.<p>

I had already found Maddie a temporary apartment, as he had made it specifically clear that he wasn't staying in the Leaf too long. But, anyway, I stood at the door of Sam's house, and knocked intently on the door, a bright smile on my face. Nowadays, nothing too bad happened, so I guess you could say it was a happy time. The only real bad thing had happened only recently: Orochimaru's death. Or… re-death, I suppose you could say.

"You know you can come in, Natalie!" Sam yelled from somewhere in the house in reply to my knock on the door. I, in turn, opened the door and stepped inside, taking a deep breath. The first thing that reached my nose was the scent of rice, but there was a hint of vanilla if you searched hard enough.

"What're ya makin', Sam?" I asked, leaning into the kitchen on the right.

"I'mma makin' Weasel's favorite food," she replied with a proud smile. "Itachi's _always _the one to cook, so I thought _I _could make something instead."

I laughed. "At least make it edible. _I'm _eating dinner here too!" She'd invited me, after all. Itachi wasn't here at the moment, merely because he was busy training with Sasuke. Sasuke _really _liked to train. It was like a hobby of his. Surprisingly enough, he also liked to take walks. As for Itachi… I'm really not so sure what he liked to do. He was very unreadable, you see.

"Can you watch the rice?" she asked. "I need to use the bathroom."

I raised an eyebrow, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "Sure, Sam. Have fun with that."

"I will!" she exclaimed in fake enthusiasm, then walked off. Sam had been away with Itachi on that honeymoon-whatever-thing for a little over a month, so I sure was happy to see her. Of course, I'd been away from her much longer than that. Like when I was Naomi and she thought I was dead – I couldn't see her for two _years_. And when I saw her again, I hid my identity.

…I'm such a nice friend, aren't I?

I heard the rice come to a boil, so I got up from my seat at the table and turned down the heat, placing the lid of the pot at an angle. There was a crash from where the bathroom was, and a shout of, "Oh my god, I'm such a boofhead!" Then there were Sam's footsteps coming toward where I was. She was walking stiffly, and her face was incredibly pale.

I blinked. "What's wrong?" I asked, cocking my head slightly to the side.

"What? Am I red? Blushing profusely?"

"No… all the red is _draining _from your face, smart one."

"Oh, great. Then I'm going pale."

"What's going on?" I prodded, concern in my expression.

"Natalie…," she said incredibly slowly, then paused. After waiting for about an eternity (which was really just a few seconds), she spoke. "…I'm pregnant."

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><p>...Sam actually requested for this to happen... But for those of you who want action, don't worry; it's coming. This won't be one of those stories about life after all the conflict. There'll be plenty of conflict, trust me. How else would so many people die? An epidemic? *cough cough* Ahem, <em>anyway,<em> I know this is kinda short, but I just thought this was a good place to stop. Now... _Review or you shall be glomped!_

_..._Unless you _like _being glomped... in which case I don't really have a threat for you. _Cookies if you review!_

...There we go...


	3. Chapter 2

Hurray for double updates! ...Yeah... Oh, and I've decided to stop the special little author's notes. (Yes, after only one chapter. And it was only a prologue! I can be so inconsistent...) I think I updated double because I simply didn't want to end where I did.

So... here you are!

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><p>I stared at her for a second, probably another eternity in her point of view. "And… you're not joking this time?"<p>

She nodded.

"…That's great!" I grinned, flailing my arms around. "Can I has a hug?"

"_No,_" she snapped.

"So then… how are you gonna tell Itachi?" I asked.

She facepalmed, face beginning to go red. "Hell, how should _I _know?"

I smiled. "Well, you can tell him during dinner."

"But Sasuke's gonna be there!" Sam yelped. "And we both know how he reacted when he found out Itachi and I were getting _married!_" I laughed at the memory.

Sam, Mackenzie, Sasuke and I had gone to the park. Sasuke didn't want to go, but, being the childish people we were, the three of us got him to come along. Of course, Sam loved the swings. She's one of those people who like to tip their head back while they're swinging. Unfortunately, with the blood going to her head, Sam was unable to think straight. And, as we walked away from the park, she mistakenly mentioned her and Itachi's wedding. Sasuke's response? He stopped short in his tracks as Sam's hands flew to her mouth, realizing her mistake too late. "_What?_" Sasuke had asked, and I had burst into laughter, Mackenzie letting out a "Huh?" The next time Sasuke saw his brother, he freaked out and yelled, pronouncing each syllable clearly, "_Oh my god you are going to DIE!_" Needless to say, it was amusing.

"Yeah, I remember," I chuckled.

"Exactly," she answered.

"So then—" I was cut short when the door opened, the Uchiha brothers looking into the kitchen immediately.

"Hello, Natalie," Itachi greeted kindly, completely oblivious to what we had just been talking about. "You're making dinner, Samantha?"

She let out a yelp. "Crap, I forgot about that!" she went to the pot, and looked inside as I walked over to the two new people. Well, not new, but… meh.

I hooked my arm around Sasuke's as soon as I reached them, thinking fast. "Hey Sasuke, wanna have dinner at a restaurant?" I asked, already leading him toward the door. "I can get you omusubi with okaka and tomatoes, your favorite!"

He raised an eyebrow as I led him forward. "Why? Weren't we invited to dinner here?" He stopped short and refused to budge past the doorframe.

"Uh, Sam bought wine and we both know we can't have any," I replied quickly.

"You expect me to try and take it? What do you think I am?"

"A duck-butt head."

"…Nice."

"Just come on! There's… family problems!"

He stared at me with a blank expression.

Bad excuse.

"Uh… Sam's in one of those rare, lovey moods, and we all know you don't want to be around that. There, you happy? I didn't want to tell you, 'cause you might get mad…."

"Okay," he said quickly, going out the door. "Let's go."

We went to a simple restaurant called Shokuryou no Ouku. It had all kinds of food. Sasuke, of course, had his favorite food of omusubi with okaka and tomatoes. I just had a nice bowl of ramen. I loved ramen. However, it wasn't my favorite food. I didn't have a favorite food. But that's just me.

Oh, and Madara was at the restaurant too. He was asking the waitress for Yakiniku, a Japanese barbeque, while we were eating. It was only when I heard his voice to my right that I knew he was even in the restaurant. "Who are you, though?" the waitress asked, fidgeting with her pencil.

"I am Madara," he frowned. I saw the girl tense, and I'd imagine her eyes went wide (I couldn't tell; her back was facing me). "Go ahead…," Maddie coaxed, frown deepening. "Make my barbeque."

The way he said that caused me to burst into laughter, causing Sasuke to stare at me, along with pretty much everyone else at the restaurant. "Miss Waitress-Person, please give Maddie his barbeque. All he wants is something to eat!" I explained when I had found my laughing had slowed. And so, the night went on until it ended.

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><p>The next day, Sam went out to tell everyone of her conception, dragging me along with her. She told Sarah first, then Mackenzie, Britt, Agatha, Haru, Ash, and lastly Sierra. Sierra was with Anna and, coincidentally, Sasuke. Anna did, after all, consider Sasuke a friend, even though he didn't really think of them as friends. Of course, Sam had to tell them without even noticing Sasuke was there. I guess she was just too excited.<p>

"Hey Sierra guess what?" Sam grinned.

"What?" Sierra beamed.

"I'm pregnant!"

There was a long pause. "_Oh my gob, oh my gob, oh my gob!_" Sierra cried, pouncing on Sam in a hug. "I'm happy for you! _Yay!_"

"Get off!" Sam snapped, happy demeanor dissipating in an instant, and Sierra obeyed.

"Wait… how'd that happen?" Anna asked, completely oblivious.

Sam, Sierra, and I all facepalmed simultaneously. "Stuff happened," was Sam's explanation.

It was then I looked to Sasuke, to see his reaction. I noticed immediately that his eyes were closed, and his left eye was twitching slightly. "So… is the baby in your tummy now?" Anna asked, cocking her head to the side and staring at said stomach.

"Yep!" Sam grinned, patting her stomach lightly.

"Natalie…," Sasuke said in a low voice, "…is this the real reason we left the house last night?"

"Yeah," I replied, giving a weak smile.

He took a deep breath. "I'm… so… _happy _for you, Samantha."

"Er… thanks?" Sam replied, obviously confused. One, he was being nice when he usually would _not _be. Two, he called her Samantha, when he always called her Sam. "Are you mad?"

"No," he answered, opening his eyes. "I'm not mad. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving." Then he turned and walked slowly away.

"Sasuke, can I come?" Anna giggled, walking towards him.

"Not right now, Anna. I'm going on a walk. Alone," he added, knowing Anna would ask if she could come along. Then he walked off, Sam staring after him.

"He'll be fine, Sam," I reassured. "He likes walks."

"Right…," she replied.

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><p>I woke up the next morning with a vague idea of something to do. That's really all that happened that day. I hung out with Ash, Zetsu, and Kisame. I had dinner with them, as well. Zetsu, with Apple's recipe, was able to make delicious steak. Gaara hadn't lied when he had commented about her cooking skill.<p>

The day after that, I met up with Agatha and Shikamaru and learned Shikamaru had proposed. How sweet! He'd proposed on his rooftop, beneath the clouds they so loved to watch.

Yet another day, I had fun with Mackenzie and Naruto, running around and playing pranks on the villagers. Namely Sasuke.

The next day I merely hung around the house, forcing Deidara to give me a hug and discreetly petting his hair. Yes, I know I'm weird.

_Another _day, and I was sparring with Sam. "Oh, look over here!" I yelped, then jumped with ninja speed to her other side. "No, over here!"

Sam decidedly sat right down on her butt. "You know what? I'm tired. Can we stop?"

I frowned and plopped down beside her. "Sure." Silence settled over our short conversation, but I broke the silence by asking simply, "How'd you tell Itachi?"

"…Slowly and hesitantly," she answered, and laughed. "Fancy, huh?"

I shrugged and smiled. "I guess so."

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><p>"Okay, guys, I actually have an idea!" I proclaimed to my fellow Riaru, raising my index finger into the air.<p>

"Ooh, that hasn't happened in a while!" Sierra exclaimed, flapping her arms.

"I know, right?" I laughed. Everyone sat around the table at Sam's house (well, Sam and Itachi's house). "Everyone" included me (of course), Sam, Sierra, Sarah, Mackenzie, Anna, Brittany, Agatha, Ashlie, Haruka, and Apple. Well, technically Apple was Itachi, considering she had to speak through him. And how did she know to speak through him right now? I had spoken through Gaara to tell her there was a meeting, simple as that.

"Okay, so I had a really weird dream the other night," I began.

"Was it one of those vision-ish dreams?" Ash asked, cocking her head slightly to the side.

I shook my head. "It's one of those dreams that you can say 'You'll never guess what I dreamt about last night!' the next morning."

"Continue," Sam prompted.

"Okay, well, I had a dream about the whole Japanese version of this world. I mean, it exists, right? There are living beings there, too! So, why stop at saving people in this world? Why not help the people in that world, too?"

"Ooh, nice," Apple commented. It was downright creepy having her voice come out of Itachi's mouth.

"Exactly!" I grinned. "'Cause we _all _know I'm awesome."

"No you're not, dude, don't lie," Mackenzie replied.

"I can't believe you still remember that song!" Britt laughed.

"I miss my music," Sam mumbled.

"I don't!" Sarah grinned.

"_How?_" Sam and I asked in sync.

"I brought me my iPod," she replied, sounding all too happy, biting her lower lip.

"Cool," Mackenzie and Britt commented.

"Awesometations!" Ash grinned.

"Okay, so… who's gonna come?" I smiled, making a chibi face.

"Ooh! Me, me, me!" Sam immediately volunteered, raising her hand.

"Oh, no you don't," Apple said. Wait….

"Are you Itachi or Apple?" Anna asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Itachi," he replied, "and you're not going, Samantha."

"Why _not_?" she whined, sticking out her bottom lip.

He leaned forward. "Because not only would you be risking not just your life, but also our child's, but you would also be more at risk, being pregnant." He leaned back, cocking his head upwards and looking to the ceiling with a curious smile on his face. "Oh, Sam, you're pregnant?"

"That's creepy…," I said under my breath. It's like he had two personalities… which was creepy for such a stoic man.

Sam nodded slowly.

Itachi grinned and leaned forward, putting his hands on the table. Or rather, _Apple _grinned and leaned forward, putting _Itachi's_ hands on the table. "That's awesome! When did you find out?"

"A week ago."

"Ooh!" she smiled. Er… he? I'm confusing myself. Ack, I'll just refer to Itachi as _he _when he's himself, and as _her_ when Apple is speaking. His eyes went upward. "Yes, it's exciting. A wonderful thing." He looked back to Sam. "Now you're _not _going." He put a light smile on his lips. "Personally, I don't wanna lose you." He raised an eyebrow. "Jeesh, Itachi, I can feel your love for her, and it's creeping me out," Apple complained in slightly teasing tone.

"This is better than cable," Ash smirked.

"Actually, I agree," Haru nodded.

"Yeah!" Sierra squeaked, while Anna giggled.

"So, wait," I came in, waving my arms around to make them stop.

"Yes?" Itachi and Apple asked in unison.

"Okay, _that's _creepy," Sarah commented.

"No…. _That's _not creepy at _all_…," Sam said, her tone revealing obvious sarcasm.

"Well," I continued, "who _will _come?"

"I will!" Agatha volunteered, raising a hand.

"So will I!" Sierra grinned.

"Ooh, can I? Can I?" Anna asked excitedly, waving her arm around to emphasize her volunteer.

"Me too!" Ash chimed in.

"Okay!" I smiled. "No more volunteers. Me, Anna, Sierra, Agatha, and Ash will go to the Japanese version of this world."

"Wait, can Zetsu and Kisame come?" Ash asked, folding her hands together.

"And Shikamaru?" Agatha added.

"I don't see why not," I shrugged. "Alright-y then!" I announced. "On the morrow we shall set forth to the new world!"

Yeah… I liked talking fancy.

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><p>Alright, so... there's gonna be a mini-arc with the Japanese version of the Naruto world. After that, the main plot of the story will come into play. So... yay! Review Or I will pour hot rice over your head! :D<p>

...Not to be forceful or anything... Eheh...


	4. Chapter 3

Sorry I didn't update yesterday! I was in a place where there was no internet, so... yeah... Sorry. Hope you like it anyway! Oh, yes, and there will be some Japanese here. And I don't actually know Japanese. So, if I get something wrong, kindly correct me, and please don't get upset about it. I'm not good with languages. Thanks!

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><p>We had to tell Lady Tsunade, of course, of our plan. I'd made a promise to her that we wouldn't go out on random missions I'd come up with without her knowing anymore. As the eight-person group moved, it grew into a nine-person group when I asked Deidara, and evolved again into a ten-person group when I invited Maddie to join. We'd come across him along the way to the clearing (that's where we would create the portal, since the warp-energy was strong in that area). We left the village gates, leaving behind an annoyed Naruto, as Agatha had made a mistake with her Kawarigan.<p>

Let's just say he was stuck being a girl for a while.

I frowned when we reached the clearing. "Hey, wait," I muttered, cocking my head to the side and cradling my chin with my hand in thought. "How do I make a portal to the Japanese world instead of the Real world?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Why bother bringing us here when you don't even know how to get to our destination?"

"Bakamaru!" Agatha barked, hitting him over the head. 'Bakamaru' was her nickname for Shikamaru when he was being an idiot. That didn't happen often, considering he's a genius…..

"Hey! What was that for?"

"She'll think of something, just you wait," Agatha replied with a huff.

"What'chya got?" Sierra squeaked.

"Hmmm," I droned, thinking hard. "Well… I still don't know."

"I can get us there," Madara offered, face blank.

My face lit up. "Okay! Go ahead, Maddie!"

There was the start of a swirl, but he stopped and frowned at me. "You know, I really would appreciate it of you stopped calling me 'Maddie.'"

"Oh, well. Force of habit," I shrugged, earning a giggle from my nieces and a short laugh from Agatha. And then we swirled away….

…And reappeared, sitting in darkness. How disorienting. I looked around, searching for some form of light. Hey, at least it was nearly a full moon, so we could still see around us. If I looked to our right, I could see the soft glow lighted tents. Its light seemed welcoming – calming even – to the point that I almost suggested going over there.

"_Dare ga sokodesu ka?_"

I blinked. "Hinata?" I guessed. "Guys, who said that?" I asked, looking around.

"N-nan— Dono you ni watashi no namae o shitte imasu ka?"

"Er…," I blinked. "Nani?" It was one of the only words I knew, but I knew it.

"Damn, we don't know any Japanese!" Agatha cried.

"Um, who is speaking?" I asked slowly.

Hinata came out of the shadows from the direction of the tents, eyes Byakugan and brow furrowed. "Naze anata wa, -sou… myou ni ieba, anodesu ka?"

I frowned. "Me no speak-y Japanese-y."

"Aa… anata ga tekidearu baai, watashi wa iu koto ga dekinai…." She paused.

"Okay, I've no clue what she's saying," I muttered.

"Ditto," Ash replied quietly.

"Why are we whispering?" Anna asked.

"'Cause!" Sierra replied in a strained whisper.

Then, Hinata said incredibly slowly, pronouncing each syllable carefully, "Ni ni bokoko-go o hanaseru?"

"Uh…." I racked my brain for Japanese phrases I had learned. "Watashi wa… hanasu_…_ Nippon no _sukoshi_…," I answered slowly. It meant, "_I only speak a _little bit _of_ _Japanese._"

She frowned under the moonlight. "Dou yatte?"

I shrugged.

She cradled her chin with her hand, then pointed at me. "Akatsuki?"

I shook my head and pointed to my headband. "Konoha."

She gestured to the friends around me. "Akatsuki? Teki?"

I shook my head. "Konoha," Ash, Agatha, and Sierra said in sync. I was guessing she was either mispronouncing 'Taka,' or she meant 'enemy' by teki. I went with the second choice.

"Akatsuki teki," I reasoned.

"…Mei?" she asked. I blinked, looking to the others for help. Why weren't Shikamaru, Maddie, Deidara, Zetsu, or Kisame speaking? Jeesh. They could have _helped, _at least. I mean, I know I could read the Japanese books, but… once I learned a symbol, it was like it translated to English in my mind. Yeah… it's confusing. "Aa," she said, nodding, then pointed to herself. "Hinata." She pointed to me.

"Oh!" I cried, and pointed to myself. "Natalie." Hinata smiled and nodded in encouragement.

"Ash!" Ashlie grinned, raising a hand.

"Agatha," Agatha came in.

"Sierra!" "Anna!" my nieces chimed in, in unison.

An awkward silence insued. "Er, can we go into that camp of yours?" I asked.

She blinked, then murmured to herself, "Wa shuuyou sorera no wake ni wa ikanai…." We all looked at one another, and shrugged. She held her hands in front of her, like a barrier. "Gomen ne. Kore ijou."

I recognized _one _word: gomen. And that meant sorry. I also recognized kore, which meant this, but that didn't help much. Judging by the hands she was holding up, I guessed she was apologizing for not allowing us to go to the camp thing. Then she started backing away, still holding her hands out, repeating, "Taizai. Taizai. Taizai…." When we didn't make a move, she jumped away.

"Now what?" I asked, turning to the others.

Kisame replied with a groan. "Hey! Why the hell is _this _your first response?" Ash asked, slightly annoyed.

"Eh?" he asked, looking around. "When'd we get here?"

"Honestly," Maddie commented, sitting up, "I believe we were knocked out. It makes sense, I suppose. There are other people – more than one of us – doppelgangers, if you will. It's not natural for us to be here."

"Makes sense," Shikamaru mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"**Yeah. **I guess so," Zetsu shrugged.

"So what'd we miss, mm?" Deidara frowned, putting his hand on his forehead as if he had a headache.

I jumped to my feet. "We're going to the Batcave!"

Anna laughed. "Aunt Natalie, you're so silly!"

"You mean the Akatsuki hideout-thing?" Agatha asked.

"Yep!" I grinned.

"That place has a name," Maddie corrected. We all looked at him, expecting an answer. "It's the Mountains' Graveyard, and I know the way."

I grinned. "Alrighty then, Batman! Lead the way!"

* * *

><p>"What is our goal here, anyway?" Shikamaru asked me.<p>

"I have no idea whatsoever," I replied, sounding just as serious.

He blinked. "You're kidding me!"

"You _do _mean to tell us there's some sort of motive, right?" Maddie frowned.

"Well, yeah, of course," I explained, making a gesture with my arm. "To save peoples."

Deidara sighed. "How are we supposed to save people?"

"Like you!" I squeaked. "We can save you! And Maddie and Sasuke and… and… yeah…."

"We can't save that man," Maddie frowned.

"Who, you?"

"He is _not _me!" he snapped. "And there's no way you can possibly save him. The only reason I'm even with you right now – the only reason you're _alive, _Natalie – was because of that battle at the Land of Waves. If it weren't for that, I'd end up _just like him_. And without that, there's no possible way you can avert him from the path he's on now!"

"…Someone has a temper," Anna mumbled.

"It's the same with Sasuke," he growled. "Don't you feel it? Don't you feel the cold, dark, _hatred _that has tainted his energy? He's fallen too far; you can't reach down and pick him up. If anything, _he'd drag you down with him_. So no, you can't save either of them."

"You're so pessimistic!" Sierra argued. "Everyone has some sort of light in them. And besides…. When you're in the deepest sort of darkness, it makes it all the clearer to see even a tiny ray of light."

"Stop talking about depressing stuff!" Ash complained. "It's depressing!"

"Guys, **stop arguing**," Zetsu came in.

"Really," Kisame added, "what's it gonna do anyway?"

"Maybe we'll come to a _conclusion_," Maddie suggested in a low voice.

"_I have an idea!_" Sierra said brightly. "We can always just help the good guys win the war!"

"But the good guys always win," I pointed out.

"Do you mean we're supposed to let things be?" Agatha asked. "'Cause that would mean we came here for nothing."

"And that would be dumb," Ash came in.

"Okay then!" I surrendered. "How about we just turn this into something fun, instead?" They all stared at me. "Like… like… Maddie can run up and confuse himself… er… the guy he is here. That'd be amusing. And since Kisame's supposed to be dead, then—"

"I'm _dead_? What the hell?" Kisame asked.

"Oh, yeah. You're dead, I forgot to mention." I stated it as if it were something as casual as going to the beach.

"Thanks for telling me," he frowned.

"You're welcome!" I grinned. "So, Kisame could freak out the Akatsuki, or maybe even Kabuto, 'cause you're _supposed _to be _dead_. Zetsu can do whatever happens to be amusing on his part, while the rest of us can just wreak havoc in our own way."

"Sounds _fun_," Ash commented, grinning evilly.

"So, then, we shall—"

"Yo."

"Maddie, don't interrupt me."

"That wasn't me, you fool," he growled, pointing upwards.

I looked at the top of a huge bone sticking up from the ground, to find another Maddie, with that one light purple mask that makes him look like a robot. "Hello, Mr. Roboto!" I greeted with a wave.

"Wa totemo youte shi baka, watashi ni gyaku ka?" he asked.

"I am not a baka!" I argued.

Maddie – _our _Maddie – frowned at me. "He said, 'Are you really so foolish as to try and converse with me?'"

"You can understand them?" Ash cried.

Anna huffed. "Poo you."

Maddie looked up at the other him. Ooh, here's an idea! I'll call our Maddie "Maddie," and the other Maddie "Madara." Yeah, that works. "Koko de tatakai sa rete imasen," Maddie reasoned.

Madara jumped down, and began speaking to Maddie. I didn't understand a word they said. I do know that one of them said something wrong, because eventually they were circling one another, still taunting each other in Japanese. "You can go off and do what you find '_amusing_,'" Maddie told us, never taking his eyes off Madara. "He can't even completely figure out I'm him…. This'll be interesting." They rushed forward, and began to dance.

If you're actually imagining them dancing and doing the tango or something, I'm just gonna… laugh hysterically over here…. I meant that they were dodging and creating attacks – taijutsu – and their ducks and weaves were so in time, so precise, it was as if they were dancing; that they had pre-constructed this battle just for entertainment.

"Hey, let's go," Agatha coaxed, tapping my shoulder and snapping me out of it.

"Okay!" I said happily. "I'm going for Sasuke! Who're you guys going for?"

"Kabuto," Kisame smirked.

"**Myself,** I suppose. **Isn't it obvious?**" Zetsu responded.

"Eh, I'll go with Kisame and mess with Kabuto, hm," Deidara shrugged.

"I'll go with Zetsu," Ash said with a grin.

"I'll, uh, go to the Leaf's tents, I guess," Shikamaru sighed, sounding bored.

"They aren't just the Leaf's," Agatha pointed out.

"Yeah," I added. "They're the entire Allied Forces."

"Yeah, whatever," Shikamaru replied.

"And I'm going with Shikamaru!" Agatha added.

"I wanna see Sasuke!" Anna cried in joy.

"Er…. Anna, you should be aware that this Sasuke is… uh… scarier. And meaner. And nowhere _near _nice at all. And corrupted. And idiotic. And evil. And a boofhead. And naïve. And a bastard that twists his own goals to his own advantage so that Itachi's entire life goal was for nothing, destroying his will, throwing away his hardship so that it seems like he doesn't care at all!" I took a deep breath after that last sentence.

"Um, we get it, Natalie," Sierra said, putting her hand on my shoulder. "And if Anna is going with you to mess with Sasuke, I'm coming too!"

"We'll meet back at the Leaf Village!" I grinned. "And… go!"

* * *

><p>And there you are. Have a nice day! Review or... er... I will create a paradox by making you meet your doppelganger! ...Yeah, not a good threat. Oh well. Review anyway! :D<p> 


	5. Chapter 4

"Why did you leave us?" I whispered, concealing laughter. I was using Sakura's voice at the moment, and I was standing right beside a blindfolded Sasuke. Well, technically not a blindfold, but…. Oh, and guess what? I whispered it… _in Japanese!_ The only reason I could tell was because I had tested it out before I came in this room, and my nieces couldn't understand a word I said. I could understand the things the Japanese people said too! So awesome…. "Why did you leave me, crying that night?"

I saw a noticeable scowl on his face. "Hearing things," he muttered. I nearly burst into laughter. Oh, how wrong he was. And oh, how much easier it was to understand them and not wonder cluelessly on what they were saying.

I took on the form of Naruto and went silently to his other ear. Sierra and Anna were watching silently form the doorway, with Sierra also keeping lookout of the Japanese Zetsu. Or Kabuto. Or Maddie. Or whoever else might come. "Sasuke…. I'll bring you back!" I murmured.

"Tch," he frowned, crossing his arms.

_Let's see how he reacts to _Itachi_…._ I took on his form, and stood behind him, saying in Itachi's normal, soft voice (in Japanese), "Sasuke… why do you stray from my will?"

Sasuke whirled around. What there was of his expression showed he'd be glaring if his eyes were showing.

"It's sad…. All I've done… for _you_, Little Brother…. Did it go to waste?" He flung his fist at my stomach, and I went into the wall.

"You're not my brother," he growled. His Japanese voice was slightly different than the English, so, yeah, it was kinda weird.

"You're right," I replied, transforming into his mother, Mikoto. "I am all people, dear."

He stood, twisting his body so he could fully face me.

I found Naruto, and transformed into him. "I am your closest friends," – now I was Danzo – "your most hated enemies," – now Fugaku – "your dearest family members," – now Itachi – "and even those you regret having killed."

"What the hell? No such thing exists."

"What people believe just happens to be their reality, even though things they deny can just as easily be true." I stepped forward. "You're still so naïve, Little Brother. You can still easily be dyed any color. Have you really let Madara get the best of you?"

"No!" he replied angrily. Just for the fun of it, I transformed into him. He whirled around. _Where the hell did he go?_ he thought.

_Why, I'm right here, _I replied with his voice, in his thoughts.

_What…?_

"Whether you believe me or not, Sasuke, I am you. I am your brother, your friend, your enemy, yet also a stranger."

Both of our hands blazed with Chidori. "What makes you think you have the right to be any of them?"

We both raised our hands, each of us pointing at the other. "Nothing. I don't need the right. That is just… who I am. Nothing can change that." We pulled back our arms, ready to strike. "Just as Itachi could not change who he was… he could only accept it."

We let out a yell of anger at the same time, and we both struck, at the same time. Our Chidori collided, leaving us in a room now crackling with electricity.

"Zetsu's coming!" Sierra whispered.

"Now who _else _is here?" Sasuke asked angrily, whirling around. "And speaking so strangely…."

I nodded at my nieces, and Sierra did a jutsu, allowing her and Anna to hide. "Sasuke, **what's all the noise?** We can't keep watch on you all the time!" Zetsu said, coming into the room. "**Why the hell are there two of you?**"

We each pointed in the general direction of the other. "There's a fake me!" we both explained at once, causing the two of us to glare daggers at one another through the bandages (if that were possible). "You stop lying, talking as if you know all," we said in sync. "Oh, so now you're just a copycat? How pathetic!"

"Uh… what should we do? **Beats me.**"

"You should get rid of that fake!" we yelled, pointing at each other.

"**You know you're exactly alike, **and speaking at the same time, **right?**"

"No, because one has different thoughts," we said.

"Well how are we supposed to read thoughts?" Zetsu asked, raising an eyebrow. (Technically it was his only eyebrow… but whatever.)

"Tch," we replied in annoyance.

Sierra and Anna appeared from nowhere, Sierra yelling, "Natalie, we need to get outta here!" Then they ran up… and grabbed the wrong Sasuke by the wrist, yanking him out the door.

"Well, I guess that means you're the real Sasuke," Zetsu shrugged.

I burst into laughter (which, by the way, sounded funny as Sasuke). For the fun of it, I started spouting _very _out-of-character words as I skipped out the door. "Oh, I am such an emo bastard. La, la, la! I feel _PRETTY_! Teehee! Whee, I'm a pretty butterfly!"

"Um…. **Or not.**"

* * *

><p>"<strong>Oh yes,<strong>" I said in a low voice on one side. "**I… am… **_**Zetsu. **_**Dun, dun, **_**duuunnn….**_"

"Wow, Natalie," Sierra sighed, shaking her head. I'd used my Kawarigan to not only become Zetsu, but also use the earth to transport us all the way to the Leaf.

I returned to my normal self, looking around at the village that was slowly rebuilding itself. The dawn hadn't come yet, but there was some light in the sky towards the east. The moon was far in the west, as well. Almost full…. I grinned at my nieces. "I wonder how long it'll take the others to get here…."

As if on cue, Zetsu and Ash molded out of the ground, Ash with a grin on her face. "That was _awesome_!" she exclaimed, jumping out of his arms and glomping him.

Then Maddie himself swirled in, right after. "Wow. You guys, here before me…." He shook his head.

"Hey, Maddie, can you teleport everyone else here?"

He frowned. "Where are they?"

I shrugged. "Find them, I guess."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you look them up with your Kawarigan? Wouldn't that be easier?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I guess." Even as I said that, I was activating it. "Deidara is… hey, wait!" I looked at Maddie. "I can only look up people from this world!"

Maddie frowned, then swirled away.

The five of us just sat around and talked while we waited. Zetsu didn't say much, but… meh. Soon, dawn had come, and people started milling about the village, doing stuff. "Hey!" I exclaimed. "It's Inari!" I pounced on him in a hug before he even knew what was happening. Somehow, the Land of Waves made me feel close to my family. (Well, you know the reason.) So, the people _from _the Land of Waves made me feel closer to the Land of Waves which made me feel closer to my family. Get it? Got it? Good.

"Oi!" he yelped. "Wa ni o shitte imasu ka?"

"Nice to see you too!" I exclaimed, even though I had no idea what he just said.

I released him, then grinned as Maddie and the others swirled here. Agatha was yelling at Maddie. "Why the heck did you leave us in that creepy dimension of yours with no explanation?" she yelled. "Really! Who _knows _what you could have done to us? It's not like you're predictable, you know!" She stopped, then looked, cocking her head to the side as if listening to something. "_I _have an idea," she smirked, then pulled the puppy dog eyes on him. "Can Tobi and Muse have a battle?"

"What?" he asked. "One, what or who is Muse? Two, Tobi is non-existent."

"One, Muse is a voice in my head that can become me. Two, just be Tobi!" Yeah…. Agatha had discovered a way to allow Muse to take control of her. It made her a _lot _stronger, but… she talked in a creepy voice. It wasn't fun. Well, actually, it _was _fun. …Meh.

He crossed his arms. "Fine," he agreed. "This will be a nice spar between 'Muse,' and…" – he plastered a grin on his face – "Tobi!" He jutted his thumb at himself.

"Without the mask, that's just creepy," Ash muttered.

"Yeah," Sierra and I agreed in unison.

"He scares me," Anna said softly.

"**Oh, now the fun can **_**begin**_**,**" Agatha chuckled. Well, it really wasn't Agatha. It was Muse. (And that's what the bold shall mean when she's speaking.)

"Dabide!" Inari called from where he was working.

Tazuna added, "Doko e iku no ka?"

Some tall guy with red hair and green eyes, sporting a yellow shirt and black shorts, ran up to us. "Watashi wa byou ni narimasu!" the boy replied with a smirk.

Agatha, no longer Muse, let out a yelp and hid behind Maddie. "Agatha?" the boy asked, peeking around Maddie to see her. Knowing she could be seen, Agatha stopped hiding, instead peeking over Maddie's shoulder at the visitor.

"You two… know each other?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and cocking my head to the side slightly.

Agatha turned to look at me and smiled weakly. "He's my twin brother."

"Doesn't look like a twin to me…," Anna uttered thoughtfully.

"Huh, she has a twin too?" Ash asked no one in particular.

"So how are you here?" Agatha asked him. My friends had decided to quiet down, just to watch the scene.

"Well," he replied, rubbing the back of his head, "I've been here awhile, really. And I don't _know _how I got here."

Maddie interrupted, "When I broke out of limbo, it might have opened a portal to this world from the Real world. It's possible after all; safe to assume, even."

"Huh, that explains that," David replied with a blink. "Now how are _you _here?" he asked Agatha. "You went missing awhile back…. Mom and Dad freaked, you know. I got most worried. I knew I should have gone with you to America."

"Well, I couldn't turn down the opportunity Natalie gave me," Agatha defended.

"You could have _told _us. And," – he picked up a lock of her blond hair with a grin – "your hair is normal! You said yourself you'd gotten caught in an explosion."

"That would be my fault," Maddie sighed. David cocked his head to the side. "I am Madara Uchiha. Have you not figured it out yet?"

"_You're _Madara? Jeesh, where's your mask? And evilness? Did you lose it on the way here or something?"

"Aunt Natalie got him to be nicer!" Anna explained.

"Huh," he said, then raised an eyebrow, eyeing Shikamaru. "So, Agatha, you make out with him yet?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, while poor Agatha went red. "Uh…."

"Great…. He's troublesome, isn't he?" Shikamaru sighed. "Just ignore that," he said, directing it at Agatha. Then, looking at David, he added, "David, right? Agatha's brother? Well, I guess I have to tell you that we're engaged."

David blinked, wide-eyed. "Well, what do you know?" he asked, then grinned. "So… when am I going to become an uncle?"

Agatha's face went tomato-red, then she punched him in the face. He went flying. Nice. He sat up, rubbing his cheek. "Rude…," muttered Anna, speaking of David.

"Don't worry," Agatha insisted with a wave of her hand. "He's done worse. Besides, I wouldn't mind with Shikamaru…." There was a pause. "Wait, forget I said that!"

I smirked. "Consider it forgotten."

David snickered.

Agatha blushed an even deeper red.

Then David, now on his feet, swaggered toward us, putting either hand on either my or Sierra's shoulder. "Are either of you open? By the looks of it, you're sisters, am I right?"

I smirked right back, noticing Deidara's eye twitch slightly out of the corner of my eye. "One, she's my niece. And two, we're both married."

He raised an eyebrow. "Who else here is married? …That is female?"

"Just us," I laughed.

"How old are you, anyway?'

"I'm nineteen, and Sierra, here, is eighteen."

"…And you're married. Huh."

"Well, David, we'll be going back to the English version of this world." I opened the portal, demonstrating the before statement.

"Neat," David commented.

"Everyone's here," Ash shrugged. "Let's go!"

"C'mon David!" Agatha said, grabbing his arm. He didn't budge.

"I'm not going," he said flatly.

"What?"

I closed the portal and stared at him. "Actually…," Zetsu came in, "**we don't think we want to leave either.**"

"And why is _that_?" Ash asked.

"**Well,** we need to straighten a few things out here. It's clones of _us _that are killing people. **We should at least do something about it.**"

"If my brother's not going back...," Agatha said slowly, "…then I guess I'm staying too."

"I'm staying with Zetsu!" Ash added, raising a hand as if to emphasize it.

"Well, I should probably stay with Ash and make sure she doesn't get hurt," Kisame grinned, ruffling her hair. She replied by sticking out her tongue.

"Hey, wait, Agatha," Shikamaru said, surprise obvious on his face. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"Well, yeah!" she answered with a smile and a decisive nod. "He's my brother. I'm not leaving him, no matter _how _annoying he is."

"I guess I'll stay too then," Shikamaru sighed, putting a hand on the back of his neck.

"So… none of you are coming back with us?" I asked the six of them.

Every one of them nodded.

I frowned. "Well, we'll stay awhile, since this might be the last time we're actually together…."

We sat down off to the side, out of the way of any workers. Maddie didn't sit, though, but instead leaned against a tree. David told of pranks he had done with Naruto in the short time he was in the village while David was. He'd appeared in the Land of Waves, so that's why he was traveling with Inari and Tazuna to help rebuild. We stayed there until far past noon, since I wanted to postpone our goodbyes as long as possible. Goodbyes were hard… especially when you weren't sure if you'd be seeing them again. It's even harder when you know it's your last time, though. Luckily, that wasn't the case. It _could _be our last time, though….

In the end, when it was getting dark, I promised Shikamaru I'd explain to his parents what happened, promised Agatha and Ash we'd keep in touch, forced a hug from Kisame, and got hugs from everyone else, and… we bid our farewells. Ten people had gone through the portal to get there, and only five returned. Maddie, Deidara, Sierra, Anna, and I found it the same night in the other world, fortunately. We went to our homes or apartments immediately. I, personally, was tired.

I guess you could say… that that marked the date the separation of the Riaru began.

* * *

><p>And there you are... I hope you enjoyed it. Now... review or I shall send you to another world, and lock you out of this one!<p>

Of course, it'd have to be a world you don't particularily enjoy...

Oh well. Have a wonderfully wonderful day!


	6. Chapter 5

Er, I should probably warn you... That some people may not like this chapter... For reasons...

* * *

><p>I cocked my head to the side, staring at Sam, who was eating at Ichiraku for breakfast… and plugging her nose as she ate. "What's with the nose plugging?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.<p>

She set down her… chopstickful. I'd say spoonful… or forkful… but, well, that just didn't work in this situation. Then she answered, sounding like (of course) her nose was plugged, "The smell is too strong. It makes me wanna throw up."

I furrowed my brow and took a big whiff of the scents of Ichiraku. "It smells fine to me."

"Shut up," she replied, and continued to eat. I sat down beside her, waiting for her to finish. When she did, she quickly paid her bill and got out, probably to get away from the "unbearable smell." There was urgency in her face and tone when she looked at me and exclaimed, "Mackenzie's in the hospital!"

"What do you _mean _Mackenzie's in the hospital?" I cried, my voice rising slightly in pitch.

"She was flying her flyer-thingy, and she crashed right below the Hokage's faces. Then, not knowing how hurt she was, Chouji blew up his hand and punched her with it."

"Why did he punch her?"

"She accidentally called him fat," she explained, with us already running to meet our friend.

When we reached her hospital room, I got all choked up when I saw her. She was lying on the hospital bed, attached to an EKG and an IV tube thing. "Oh, hi guys," she greeted with a weak smile. "I guess I finally went too far with that prank…." She shook her head. "Shoulda looked where I was going, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess," Sam mumbled.

"Natalie…?" she whispered, turning her head to look at me. "Can I… ask you a question?"

I nodded and leaned forward slightly. "Of course."

"Okay…," she whispered. "If Kawarigan is so thorough… does that mean you have a dick when you turn into a guy?"

I almost immediately facepalmed. There I was, thinking she was going to ask one last important question before she breathed her last, but she asked me _that_. Sam was trying not to laugh, of course. "Well, uh, I guess so. I never really thought about it," I answered, trying not to roll my eyes.

"Sweet." She laughed, although it was weak, then stared at the ceiling. "Don't blame Chouji, okay?"

"Well, yeah, of course," I replied instantly.

"The fat ass," Sam muttered in an undertone, though I still heard her. I shot her a look and looked down, realizing suddenly that, without knowing it, I had kneeled beside the hospital bed.

"The doctors aren't gonna be able to save me if I don't pull through, you know," she said softly, in a serious tone she didn't use all too often. "They're telling me not to go to sleep, and I'm guessing that means if I go to sleep, I might not wake up. Something about a brain-bruise or whatever. But… damn, am I tired." She took a deep breath. "What's the point of resting if I can't take a nap? What am I _supposed _to do if I'm stuck in bed?"

"Well, there's reading," I suggested.

A light smirk came to her lips. "I already read the Make-Out series, and those are the only books I'll bother to try to read in Japanese." The smirk changed into a light smile, and she sighed. "I think I'll have a daydream. I'll close my eyes, relax, and have a nice daydream… with you guys in it, too. And, if I don't wake up… that's okay. I get to go to God, right?" She gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling, then closed her eyes. "'Night…." Sam and I stood there in silence for a bit, until we hesitantly left the hospital room. I was afraid to leave her, for fear once she was out of my sight, she'd leave us. But I also didn't want to force her to stay awake, for fear of disturbing her wonderful fantasy. All I could do was hope she had sweet dreams and slept peacefully.

She never woke up.

* * *

><p>Anna was sobbing hard at the funeral the next day. Then again, so was I. And Sam, and Sierra, and a few other people who happened to cry at times like this. "Mack…," Sam mumbled. Even Kakashi was there, looking quite sad despite her fangirlisms over him. How depressing….<p>

Later that day, I headed to the clearing. You know, _the _clearing. Hell, from now on I'll capitalize it, symbolizing how important that clearing was. I plopped myself down in the center, and tried to remember waking up there for the first time. "I wasn't scared…. Just confused and utterly excited,"I told myself quietly with a sniff. "And Sam wouldn't wake up at first…. And we barely even thought of Mackenzie in our time spent here." I took a shuddering sigh. "She was so excited when she came here. She even chose to stay here instead of at home." I stared down at the grass. "Of course, I can't consider it home anymore, can I? Oh, I really, really miss my mom and dad right now, though…." My jaw clenched and began to ache as I tried – and failed – to stop the tears from coming. "Shinobi die every day here. This happens all the time. It's lucky this didn't happen sooner." I paused, feeling the salty tears fall down my face again. At least they tasted nice. "But… she died because of a mere mistake…. That isn't fair…." I paused again. "But life isn't fair…. Think of how depressing the _Uchiha brothers' _lives are…."

I met Mackenzie through camping. Her family and my family always went camping together from then on. She also happened to go to my church, so we were church buddies _and _camping buddies. We – and our families – were so close we considered each other cousins….

I took out a small piece of paper. "I miss my parents," I whispered wistfully, then wrote,

_Mom? Dad? It's been awhile since I wrote to you…. Has the show come back on yet? If it has, it means something important's gonna happen…. If it hasn't come on yet, then I should probably tell you something…._

I stopped writing, and a tear dripped onto the paper. Then I continued,

_Mackenzie is dead. Can you tell her parents that? I can't…. I love you guys, and miss you so much._

_Love, Natalie_

I folded it neatly and slowly, then opened a small portal and sent it through. I got a reply almost before I let it go.

_Natalie! Oh, I miss you too, and I'm so sorry about Mackenzie. I'll pray for her. It's the best I can do… I wish I could see you right now. I wish I could give you a hug and say it's okay; comfort you like a mother is supposed to. I love you._

_Love, Mom_

I smiled lightly at the note, then looked up at the sky. Deciding I was ready, I got up and strode back my home.

On that bittersweet note, time passed. Britt took a three-month leave the next day, explaining she wanted to work things out with herself after those two big deaths, plus the permanent leave of a few of our friends. Maddie, though, didn't leave quite yet. He told stories of a place he had found north of even the Land of Earth. It was a beautiful, calm, oasis that he had lived in for quite some time. He had even offered to take some of us there for a visit someday. It wasn't actually his, after all. And yet, he made the offer as if it would never happen. I don't know how, he just did. As if it were a joke.

And then he left the village again, giving all of us a very ominous goodbye. "This will probably be the last time you see me," he had told me.

"But you'll be fine, right? You're the great and powerful _Madara Uchiha_, who can kill you, really?" I had replied.

He slowly shook his head. Then he turned and began walking out the village gates, until I ran up and hugged him, at which he tensed. What? I like hugs. Even if the person or thing I'm hugging doesn't hug back. I probably wouldn't hug a cactus, though. Yeesh. That'd hurt. I released him, smiled, and gave him a final goodbye. I think I even saw a hint of a true smile – though somewhat bittersweet – as he walked away. All I could do was wave.

More time passed. Sam and a few others started taking bets on whether her child would be a boy or a girl. Sam betted it on being a girl, while Itachi felt sure it would be a boy. However, Sam's excitement quickly deteriorated when she began feeling its effects: morning sickness, exhaustion, headaches…. It wasn't fun for her. But then, who _would _it be fun for? Really. And she made it _very clear _she didn't like it. One second she's fine and dandy, the next she's yelling at me about how hard it is, and _then _she's sobbing about something or other. I'm not sure that's _clear, _but whatever. She eventually went around letting random people know she was having a child, though. Oh, the fun she had doing that. Especially when she finally told _Tsunade_. Ha. All the downsides eventually got better, though. …Except for the whole "emotional" thing. Her tummy even started to bulge! Oh, and I guess it's important to say Itachi got really protective of her….

Jeesh, talk about a lot of details. Then again, a lot happens in three months for a pregnant lady. …I just called my best friend a pregnant lady. Hm. That's an interesting thought. My… _best friend_… was having… a _child_. Holy shiz.

Eventually, the day came when Britt's three-month leave was done, and she came back with a smile on her face. She did, however, head straight for the hospital, as she was apparently feeling funny….

* * *

><p>"So, I'm perfectly fine?" Britt asked her nurse.<p>

"Yes; there's nothing wrong with you," the nurse assured her.

"And you're sure?"

"Positive."

"…Alright." Britt hesitantly left the hospital building, in search of us. You know; _us_. Any Riaru person, really. Agatha, Ash, and Mackenzie were no longer a part of the picture, so that meant me, Sam, Sarah, Sierra, Haru, or even Anna, considering Apple was in the Sand. And, are you wondering how I know of the little scene between Britt and the nurse?

I know everything now. And I mean _everything_.

Go ahead and ask me. Anything. Anything I didn't cover in my writing? I know it. For example, while Sasuke and I were under the genjutsu that our friends were our enemies and we were found with Madara on the beach (Remember? Right after we thought Sam had died?), Deidara was at his home in the Leaf, eating pudding. Yes, pudding. Now, _how _do I know everything?

I ain't tellin' you yet.

Britt eventually found Sam, Sasuke, Sierra, and I in the training grounds. Sierra and I were bored, so we were seeing how many changes we could make on Sasuke with Kawarigan without him noticing. He was just talking with Sam about… something… and wasn't really paying attention to us. "_You first_," I whispered to Sierra. Both of us already had our Kawarigan on.

She nodded, then made a change. "And I just realized something," Sasuke remarked, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hm?" Sam answered, mouth full of ice cream.

"That I'm the _tickle monster_!" he exclaimed.

Sam screeched and flung ice cream in his face. "_Stay away you jerky squirrel!_"

Sierra and I tried not to laugh. Oh, how we loved randomness.

Sasuke wiped the vanilla (we wouldn't let her get chocolate) ice cream off his face. "What just happened?" he asked dully.

"_My turn_," I grinned, and pressed some random button. It reminded me of ducks, so I went for it immediately. I was half-hoping he'd start quacking and flapping his arms around like in that truth or dare game we played a few years ago, but I had no such luck. Instead, I found his duck-butt hair had changed into a very real duck that pecked him in the forehead to announce its presence.

"Uh, Sasuke? There's a duck on your head…," Sam pointed out.

"Really?" he asked with obvious sarcasm as it pecked him again. "I hadn't noticed." He took it off, then it pecked him in the eye. Ow. He muttered something under his breath, then realized he had no hair beneath the duck he had just removed.

"Uh, that isn't normal," Sam commented.

"No, it's not." I changed it back, and the two of them just stared at the poor duck as it morphed back into hair and attached to his head.

"_My turn_," Sierra giggled, then activated something. In the blink of in eye, his ears had disappeared, though cat ears poked out at the top of his head.

Sam just blinked and stared.

Sasuke blinked back. "What?"

"Nothing!" I called.

His cat-ear flicked back, and he growled (literally) at me, "I'm right here. You don't need to yell."

"Oh, Sasuke!" Sam sobbed. "I thought you were a _squirrel_, not a _cat_!"

"What?" he asked, obviously confused.

Sierra switched it back, and I simply smiled and zoomed in on his mind, flipping something random. Okay, I was _sure_ he'd notice this one. Sam sure freaked out. It was only when Sam freaked out that Sasuke noticed something happened, though. He was… _colorful_. His hair was lavender purple, his shirt was yellow, and his pants were a bright, lime green. He stared down at his clothing a second, then stood and whipped around to look at us. "_Stop playing with me," _he hissed (not literally) at us.

When we just laughed, he flipped on his Sharingan, which epically failed considering his Sharingan were _pink_ with tiny, little, fluffy bunnies instead of tomoe (those comma-things). He blinked twice, rubbed his eyes, looked again, then cried, "I'm seeing unicorns and rainbows!"

Did ya ever think Sasuke would say that?

He flipped off his rainbow-vision, and glared at us. "Turn. It. Off," he growled (also not literally). He frowned. "Someone's coming."

And that, friends, is when Britt found us. "Hi, guys!" Her smiled shrunk as she tried not to laugh, catching sight of the colorful Sasuke Uchiha. "What's with…?"

"Sasuke?" Sam asked. "Natalie and Sierra apparently Kawariganed him."

Britt stared at her. "Are you eating… ice cream… and _pickles_?"

"Yeah," Sam replied with a shrug. "You got a problem with that? And it's not like I'm dipping the pickles _in _the ice cream. Jeez."

"Can I have a hug?" Britt asked Sasuke.

"What? No!" They then proceeded to have a chase around the clearing, ending with Britt pouncing on him and _"accidentally" _coughing in his face. Nice.

Britt called a meeting of the Riaru the next day. It was at Sam's house – again – and Apple was speaking through Itachi – _again. _Ash, Agatha, and Mackenzie were, of course, absent. Apple herself pointed it out. "Hey, where's Mackenzie? I know Ash and Agatha are gone, but…." Her sentence faded when she saw the sad looks on everyone's faces. "What happened?"

"Mackenzie… isn't with us anymore," I said slowly.

Itachi's face fell. (But technically it was Apple's considering she was speaking through him.) "Oh…." We just sat in silence for a bit.

Haru broke that silence. "So… uh… what did you call the meeting for?" she asked.

"I have a feeling something bad's gonna happen soon," Britt replied, shooting right to the topic.

"Same here," Sierra murmured.

"What kind of bad?" Anna wondered aloud. "I mean, bad like people dying, or bad like Madara?"

"Madara isn't bad anymore, remember?" Sierra corrected, and I nodded in agreement.

"Whatever," she pouted.

"I don't know what _kind _of bad," Britt sighed. "Just something we probably won't like. At all."

"I've been having a recurring dream lately," Sierra offered. We waited for her to continue. "It takes place in the woods…. The sky is red or dark, depending on which night it is. There are figures, but I can never really make anything out. I do hear crying, though. I feel the sorrow of the area, for sure. So, I'm guessing it's a depressing sort of bad thing."

"Oh, boy, depressing," Sam muttered. "I _love _that!"

"Just as much as you _love _nuns," Sarah agreed.

Sam squeaked and covered her ears. "The _n-word_! Call it _the N-WORD!_" She had a fear of nuns, can you tell? Hm, I wonder if she'd freak out just reading this….

"Er, it's okay, Sam," Haru tried comforting, putting a hand on her shoulder.

…At which, of course, Sam said, "Don't touch me!"

"So basically something horrific's gonna happen sometime soon?" Apple asked.

"Probably," I answered.

"So, Britt, do you have any idea what's gonna happen?" Haru asked. "Any clue at all?"

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked. "I zoned out."

"I said, 'do you have any idea what's gonna happen?'"

"No, I—" Britt burst into a random coughing fit.

"Are you okay?" Haru asked worriedly.

Britt nodded, unable to speak. "Water?" she choked out. Sierra jumped up to grab her something. When she got her water, she gulped half of the glass down, and took a few deep breaths. "I… I'm fine…." She put a hand on her forehead. "God…. What the frick? Jeez…. Oh, crap. I'm kinda… dizzy…." Her eyes rolled backwards as she slumped forward, hitting her head on the table.

I blinked. That happened quickly. "Uh… meeting adjourned?" Then, we rushed her to the hospital as fast as possible.

None of the doctors could detect what was wrong with her; just the fact she had a fever. They put a clear sheet around her like a wall, just in case whatever she had was contagious. They eventually even had to put the weird mask-like thing over her mouth and nose to help her breathe. Three weeks passed, and it just kept getting worse and worse. In case you didn't know, _that's a bad thing_.

"This is so depressing," I sighed, gazing through the clear wall at Britt's face. "Good Lord," I whispered. "Please don't let her die too." I continued looking at her, remembering how the doctors kept warning me not to keep my hopes too high. "But if she does die, welcome her with open arms…."

"Natalie…?" she asked through the air-breather-mask-thing, just waking up.

I smiled, and nodded.

Her glassy eyes closed a second, then opened again halfway, staring at I-don't-know-what. "I see Mackenzie, Natalie…. I see her."

My breath caught in my throat. Was she dying? God, I hoped not_._ _She has a high fever_, I told myself. _She's probably just hallucinating._ She fell back to sleep, after that, and I eventually had to leave. I was afraid to leave, though, thinking if I left she'd pass, just like Mackenzie.

When I asked the doctors how she was the next day, the only thing they said was, "She's with Mackenzie now." Her nurse, however, offered her last words, which were simply, "I was right." I didn't understand that until very recently, when I learned of that little scene with Britt and the nurse. Poor nurse… she probably felt it was her fault for not detecting it before whatever she had was too late.

However, her words had another meaning….

I first went to Sam's house to speak of the sad news. I found both Sasuke and Itachi restraining her from reaching some chocolate left on the counter. "No!" she whined. "I want the _chocolate_!"

"Guys?" I asked, announcing my presence and gaining their attention. They all looked at me.

"Hello, Natalie," Itachi greeted with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, hi," Sasuke added, not sounding happy.

"Britt's gone," I said, getting the news over with quickly.

"…You've gotta be fucking kidding me…," Sam murmured. "How many people are going to _die_?"

I looked down. "I don't know, Sam, I just don't know."

* * *

><p><em>I was in the woods; the sky was an orangy-red. It was pretty, but it didn't serve me any comfort with all the fear and evil I felt around me. I didn't know what it was that was evil, nor did I figure out what I was afraid of. There was an ominous shadow of a person flitting between the trees….<em>

…But unfortunately I woke up before I found out who it was. I frowned. _That's swell. Well, I know what dream Sierra was talking about now…._

* * *

><p>D: Sorry guys! Britt in particular! Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry! Please allow me to let it be known, Britt, that I have nothing against you... But people <em>have <em>to die in this, whether me and you like it or not... You have a right to be mad at me for pretty much killing you though... Sorry again...

And, to make things worse, I'm losing motivation to write this story! Every time I try to write, I can barely squeeze a paragraph out. It's not really a writer's block, because I know what'll happen next, but... it's like I lack the will to write! :( I'm trying, though, I really am, for the people who enjoy this story... Which I'm really hoping do exist. It would be greatly appreciated if a few of you told me to keep writing, because I usually do what others tell me to, to please them, 'cause I like making people happy... Though this chapter is probably not making people happy, considering two people died... Poor Mackenzie... Poor Britt... Poor Orochimaru... Poor everyone else who'll die in this story...

*Sigh* Still, reviews are taken gladly, and I'd like to hear your predictions of things like who will be the next to die, or who the shadow flitting through the trees in my dream was... Now... review or... or... or Chouji will punch you too! I guess...


	7. Chapter 6

Okay, first things first: I keep forgetting to reply to AnimeLuver's review! D: She didn't log in, so I can't reply... And I'm too shy and awkward to contact her directly at her account... Yes, I know I'm stupid. Anyway... here's the replies!

For the end of Twisted Vacation: *gasp* Thank you! You gave an awesome summary of it all... I fail at summaries... I'm so happy you enjoyed it, and thank you _VERY _much for the review! ^^

For the beginning of Not a Vacation Anymore: I feel so loved... This chapter will actually show you who the bad guy'll be. And as for the ex-bad guys, I'm glad you agree with luckydog10heart! :D And oh my gosh, I feel so special. I don't really consider myself a god, but... Heh... Me, and Raito, and Pain: we shall work together and all be gods! (Technically I'd be a god_dess_, but whatever.) We will rule the world!

FEAR ME.

Anyhoo, thank you AnimeLuver, and thank you everyone else who reviewed. I love you all.

And I WILL be finishing this story. I will... You people have encouraged me enough to do so. Thanks again.

* * *

><p>The day after I had that odd dream, I spent most of the day with Anna, Sam, and Sasuke, just wandering around the village to nowhere in particular. Although, we trained a bit before we went walking. Sasuke, as we walked, coughed once randomly, and he accidentally did so in some random little girl's face. "You coughed on me!" she whined. "<em>Ewww<em>!"

Wow.

Well, Sasuke went home abnormally early that day, as he felt tired. Probably from training too much. (Trust me, he _loved _to train.) I spent the rest of the day with Sierra, Suigetsu, Anna, and Deidara. Anna was teasing Sierra and I the whole time, much to Sierra's annoyance. Days became seemingly shorter, and I felt positive that big deaths came in threes. So, Oro, Mack, and Britt. That was three, no more for me. (Ooh, that can be like a quote, 'cause it rhymes! Yay!) I was done with depressing deaths.

Three days later, however, Sasuke was sick in bed. He refused to go to the hospital, so Itachi and Sam did the best they could for him, with Sierra's help. Sierra was becoming a wonderful medic-nin. I, to say the least, was proud of her. She'd always wear a little white mask over her mouth (Dunno what it's called… respirator, maybe?) when she healed something or other on him. For example, his lungs. Those seemed to be taking a pretty good beating with all the coughing he was doing. Any visitors to his home, including Sam and Itachi, had to wear the same white mask-thing as Sierra, as we now knew for sure it was contagious.

"I brought peanuts!" Sam said excitedly through the mask thingy, holding out a jar of peanuts. Because we were in an anime, her voice wasn't muffled at all. She had brought me and Itachi for this visit. Sierra wasn't here at the moment, so it was just the three of us visiting him this time around.

Sasuke looked wearily at the food. "I'm not hungry," he told her.

"You should eat," Itachi said. "You need to keep up your strength if you want to make it through this."

"I'll be fine," he scoffed.

"C'mon, eat some," Sam chided, holding out a single peanut.

"_Nooo_," Sasuke whined, rolling away, and falling on the floor. As Itachi and I (Sam kinda… couldn't) picked Sasuke up to put him back on the bed, Sam put the peanut in his mouth. He rolled around on the bed in protest; his fever was obviously making him act… odd…. Eventually, he hit his head on the corner of his bed stand, and he clutched his head in pain. Ow. Then his hands went to his throat as he began to choke on that one peanut.

Nice, Sam.

He eventually choked out his peanut, though there were _two _peanuts instead, which made absolutely no sense at all…. Well, needless to say, Sam and I burst into laughter once the scene was over and he was fine.

As for the outside world, more and more people took to their beds. Two weeks, and that girl Sasuke had coughed on got her mom sick, who got her husband sick, who got his teammates sick, who got everyone at the bar sick, who got more and more people sick until it became an epidemic of sorts. Yikes. And that was only in the length of _two weeks_. Sheesh. People began wearing the little white masks _everywhere_.

Tsunade discovered another symptom of the disease: it messed up your chemicals. She discovered this when caring for a patient that was slowly losing his sanity as the disease affected him. Speaking of questioning sanity….

A week or so after Sasuke choked on that peanut, Sam was over his house, keeping him company. No, I wasn't there. But I know all. So… yeah. She left a moment, having to go the bathroom or something, and when she came back, she found Sasuke on his feet, trying to find his balance. "Jeez, Sasuke, don't get up yet!" she cried, running forward to steady him.

"Get… the hell… _off me_!" He shoved her off, causing her to fall with a _thump _to the floor.

"Ow, ow, _ow_!" she yelped. "Dude! I'm pregnant! That _hurts_!"

"Exactly!" he snapped. "It _hurts_!" He landed a ninja-kick to her side.

"_OW!_" she yelled, then struggled to get to her feet. "God, I can't even see my toes…. Sasuke, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Why don't _you_ tell _me_?"

"'Cause I don't know the answer, you idiot!"

He laughed.

"What the hell's so funny, you duck-butt head?"

He didn't reply, but instead stepped towards her, still chuckling.

"Stop it! You're acting weird!"

He took another step.

Sam scowled, grabbed his throat, and shoved him against the wall. "What the flarp?"

"Go ahead," he grinned. "Go ahead and kill me. Is that what you want? You've always hated me."

"_What?_" Sam cried. "I don't want you _dead_!" She shifted her hands to gripping his shoulders against the wall. "Now _stop it_!"

She finished that sentence just as he fell limp, unconscious.

* * *

><p>Five days, and Sasuke was up and walking again, much to our relief. He even went through a sincere apology with Sam for acting weird that day, promising he didn't remember most of it, and that it wouldn't happen again. "C'mon, Sasuke, get up," Itachi coaxed. "We're going for a walk today, and you need to get your strength back."<p>

Sam, Deidara, Sierra, Anna, and I waited at the door. (Suigetsu didn't want to come… he didn't like walks.) Sasuke sighed, got to his feet, took a few steps… and tripped. Sam was the one who noticed the red in his eyes when he fell. "He Sharinganed the floor!" Sam laughed.

Sasuke glared at her, flipping his Sharingan off, as Itachi helped him up. "I want to talk to him," Itachi said to us, and we nodded simultaneously, going out of the room. Sierra closed the door behind us. He really didn't tell him much; something to do with his concern of Sasuke's mental health. Sasuke just frowned and replied that he was fine; that he was thinking straight and his brain was functioning. Then he slowly walked to the door, and tried to push it open.

"Why won't it open?" he frowned, annoyed.

"Sasuke… why don't you use the doorknob?"

He blinked. "Oh…. You're killing me…." He opened the door, and stumbled out. (His legs weren't working all that well, I supposed.)

We had lunch at Ichiraku (Have I ever mentioned their ramen is _amazing_? Even though I had to mix the broth and the noodles now that it was a different kind of shop….) and we were all happy to see Sasuke eating with at least somewhat of an appetite. It kind of worried Sam that we had to take our white mini-masks off while we ate, but I assured her she'd be fine. We put the masks right back on when we left.

"Besides, Sam," I commented, "the epidemic is dying down now. It's better."

"I guess I'm just worrying for my kid," she shrugged. "Only three more months, right?"

"Wow… I can't believe it," Sierra sighed, shaking her head.

"Sasuke's gonna be an uncle!" Anna giggled.

"Right…," said future uncle muttered.

"Cheer up, Sir Emo," I chided, putting an arm around his shoulders.

"Get off me," he grumbled, and I obeyed with a huff.

"Gee, could you be any nicer?"

"Today? No."

I rose an eyebrow. "If I gave you chocolate… maybe you'd be nicer," I commented thoughtfully.

"Great," Sam muttered, "now I want chocolate."

"Don't get her wanting chocolate," Itachi warned me, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Now _I _want chocolate," Anna whined.

"Me too," Sierra joined in.

"Well, I'm not getting chocolate for you," I frowned, holding my head high in defiance.

"Especially when we know what happens when you have some, hm," Deidara agreed.

"But I—" Sam argued, but was cut off by a loud explosion to the right of us, somewhere else in the village. What followed was panic from the villagers and screams of terror. Well, this wasn't good.

We all looked at Deidara. "What?" he asked, holding his hands up in peace. "I didn't do it!"

"Then who-?" Sam was, yet again, cut off by yet _another_ explosion. We all glanced at one another, then used our ninja skills to run epically fast to the explosion site. I heard the creepy laughter before the guy laughing came into sight.

"Oh, boy," Sasuke muttered. "I recognize _that _voice…." He winced, then tripped on a roof tile; Itachi was the one to stop him from falling off the roof. Right past that house, though, was ground zero. On the roof of the building on the opposite side of the pretty-big crater was Kabuto. Kab-to. French Toast. The Korn on the Kab on the To. (Corn on the cob on the toe, really. Heh. Oh, how amusing it is in my eyes.)

Ninjas were already gathering in the crater to see what, exactly, Kabuto was going to do. When was the last time I saw Kabuto anyway? This Kabuto, I mean. I hadn't seen him in that last battle when he "disappeared," and I didn't see him when I was last captive, either. I heard him, though. Does that count? Anyway, we all jumped as close to the front as we could, as I happened to be short (and if I was, so was Deidara) and thus couldn't see him very well when in the back of the crowd.

"Oi _French Toast_!" I heard Sarah call from somewhere else in the crowd.

"Why are _you _here?" Naruto came in. The crowd's noise steadily went from hushed murmurs to outcries of anger.

"Please, please," Kabuto said calmly with a smirk. I gradually noticed the snake beside him held another being. "I'm just here to tell you I'm living, really. Announce my presence. It's no fun being alive when no one knows you are but yourself. I, honestly, don't know how Madara could stand it." He shrugged. "But he's dead now, anyway. So this time, he won't have to wait."

I tried not to laugh aloud. Here he was, the only real threat we had to worry about since that battle a few years ago, and he thought one of the strongest people on our side was dead. _That_ certainly gave us an advantage.

"I'd also like to let it be known that I have learned a few things," he continued in a voice that projected throughout the entire crater he had created. "For one thing, I'm sure you've noticed an outbreak in sickness. I created that illness, I'm proud to say." I frowned. _Kabuto killed Britt_. "And for another," he continued, "I'm considerably stronger." As if to prove his point, he gestured to the figure, bound by that creepy snake that wound around her. "Haruka Tsukuyomi," he grinned. I stared in growing fear as I realized that was exactly who was trapped. Her eyes were wide, flitting among the crowd for some form of help.

"Haru!" I called, and her eyes immediately went to me. Her mouth opened, but it appeared it came out as a choked gasp as the snake tightened its grip on her.

"This supposedly powerful Riaru clan member was caught easily while taking a simple walk. Pathetic, I believe." A ghost of a smirk reappeared on Kabuto's lips. "And, of course, I can kill her easily." As if to demonstrate his point, the snake squeezed until there was blood seeping out of any opening the snake left. Haru wasn't looking at me anymore. She was staring at the sky with dead eyes, a pained expression still in place of her usually kind and calm demeanor. I tried not to let the tears building in my eyes roll down my cheeks.

A feral grin slowly spread itself across Kabuto's face, as he gestured to his other side. I hadn't noticed the other figure, slumped over in unconsciousness. "As for the rest of the supposedly _'powerful' _Riaru clan, they are now incredibly _easy _to kill. I suggest they don't go up against me, or they _will _be killed like an annoying little bug."

"But wouldn't that kill my kid…?" Sam whispered, thinking not of herself at that moment, but her child.

Kabuto looked at Sam, eyes wide and kinda creepy, as if he knew exactly what she said. However, he continued as if nothing had happened, still looking at Sam, "Each and every one of us has a soul. And that soul is somehow reflected in another being, of another world. Souls exist in different worlds, but yet they are the same. If you don't believe me, think of all the times you've seen someone you've felt you've met before, or when you have an odd dream that seemed a little too real, even though it seemed like fantasy when you woke. When one is in another world that isn't their home, they are easily affected by the person soul-bound to them. For example…." He lifted the unconscious girl I didn't know by the arm, bared his teeth, bit her in the throat, and thus killed her. "This is Apple's soul-bound human of this world. I can honestly believe that Apple is gone now…."

I was already looking through a camera, praying that Apple was fine, and Kabuto was lying.

"_Kids suck," Kankuro grumbled to Apple. "I don't see how you like them. At all."_

"_Really!" Apple replied in a huff. "But they're so sweet! Maybe kids just don't like you…. I know Anna isn't too fond of you. Oh, and did you hear Sam is pregnant?"_

_Kankuro groaned. "Not _another_ annoying kid…."_

"_Isn't _Gaara_ a 'kid?'"_

"_He's my brother! Not to mention him being the Kazekage."_

_Apple rolled her eyes, stopped walking down the hall beside her friend, and gasped, her hands flying to her throat._

"_What?" Kankuro asked brilliantly._

_Apple fell to her knees. "I can't…," she choked out. "I… can't… breathe." She collapsed, suffocating in her soul-bound character's blood._

I returned to where I physically was, noticing some other Riaru clan members were just opening their eyes in shock of seeing that. Poor Apple…. "Another announcement I'd like to be made is the fact the World War will still take place. It seems to have been placed on hold for quite some time, but I'd like to declare that we are to continue our battles as planned. And with that… I bid you farewell." In a puff of smoke, Kabuto was gone, leaving nothing behind but a few splotches of blood.

"He could have at least left our friend's body," I mumbled in complaint, then shuffled forward to try and move on with the day. Those surrounding the snake-like man's platform slowly dispersed. The day went actually surprisingly quick, considering I went through it all in more of a foggy blur than anything else. Haru and Apple were gone. Just to be sure, we headed to the place in the village with all of the messenger birds. I knew for sure of Haru – I watched her go right in front of me – but Apple's little death scene was a mere illusion set to play before the Riaru alone. Who knew for sure it wasn't a genjutsu? It could be just an illusion. A bluff made by that meanie poop Kabuto. It could be…. Right?

We sent a message to the Kazekage, asking vaguely how Apple was…. There was no reason to worry him if there was nothing wrong. We all mourned for Haru the entire next day. We couldn't do a proper funeral, considering we had no body, but we all dressed up in black (an outfit I had learned to be sick of wearing after the past few reasons of wearing the same attire) and all gathered together. Every one of her friends. The friends that she considered her family. I think we all considered each other family now, since we couldn't really make contact to our blood-related families. We were all connected.

"If only I could contact Agatha and Ashlie…," I mumbled. They had no idea about what had happened to Mackenzie or Britt, and least of all Haru and possibly Apple.

"Why don't you make a portal thing and send something to them, hm?" Deidara suggested in a low voice.

"I can't think…," I replied, fighting back what could have been a sob. "I dunno how."

He elbowed me. "Then you can worry about contacting them when you can think, okay?"

I nodded.

"I'm depressed," Sam complained.

"Oh, really?" Sasuke snorted.

"Yes," she replied in somewhat of a pout.

"It's normal to be sad right now," Itachi joined in. "You need to mourn for your losses, just as we mourn for ours."

Sam stopped breathing a second, then continued normally, whining, "Great, now you're making me feel I'm sounding like a selfish jerk."

"You're not," Itachi murmured comfortingly, putting his arm around her shoulders.

I looked up at Deidara. "Why aren't _you_ that nice?"

He frowned. "That's not me."

"Eh, good point."

"I'm getting a horrible feeling that this is gonna get a whole lot worse," Sierra said softly.

"Wonderful," Sam sarcastically responded.

"Premonition?" I offered.

"Yeah."

"The _last _thing we need is more bad stuff," Suigetsu sighed.

"Really," Sam asked – more sarcasm.

"Well, this means the war is back up…," Naruto came in, fists clenched. "And _that _means I'm going to kick Kabuto's _ass_."

* * *

><p>Gaara confirmed our fear of Apple's death. He had witnessed it himself, at his brother's calls. The remaining Riaru – me, Sam, Sarah, Sierra, and Anna – plus the Uchiha brothers, Deidara, and Hidan, all went to the Sand for her funeral. I honestly expected it to be harder to dig a big hole in the desert sand, considering the loose sand would slip back in the hole and fill it up. But hey, we were in an anime, and that wasn't much of an issue. Emotions seemed the only real thing there. Actually being <em>in <em>the scene; actually being _connected _to the people around me, instead of just seeing it as a picture on a television… it definitely made things seem much more… _real_. Even if what I saw around me was flat and somewhat lacking depth, I could still actually wield my sense of touch. My sense of smell. Even my sense of taste. It let me know I was actually _here_.

We went back to the Leaf to find that _Danzo_, of _all people_, was back in the village. It both confused and surprised me to find him walking toward the Hokage's office when we reached our home. I didn't much care, though. I just cared about what had recently happened. Let me tell you, the loss of some of my closest friends shook me. Really, though, how could I not be shaken? Their deaths didn't even seem that far apart to me…. If it was all in the expanse of a single year then they were too many deaths too close together. And then, it hadn't even been a full year yet. I should know… Sam's child hadn't been born yet.

Three more months.

Well, some more time eased the pain, but of course it didn't erase it. It was a scar on the heart, I guess you could say. It didn't really hurt so much, but it was still there. All you had to do was look at it… and you'd be reminded of it. It was through the next month that I began retreating a little more into myself. Normally, I was incredibly open (and kinda annoying), but in that month, I was growing a little bit more introverted. Not completely so, just enough that I wasn't acting without thinking like I usually did. I dunno… but it brought Deidara and I further apart. I didn't much like it, and neither did he, but it happened, and we can't deny fact.

It worked the opposite on Sam, however. Sam became even closer to Itachi, which apparently _was _possible, 'cause it happened. They were okay with silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a comfortable, serene silence. They'd sometimes just sit on a bench, or look up at the stars at night. It was in this silence that actually brought them closer together. Sometimes Itachi would give her a reassuring squeeze of the hand, or a lopsided smile, and just that was enough. I'm actually glad they spent more time together while it lasted. They had a month of being happy together. Incredibly happy together. A child was on the way, and they felt their lives were truly intertwined….

But Sierra and I still had a horrible feeling something bad was gonna happen. Whenever Sierra or I would try and warn Sam something bad was coming, she'd simply frown and retort, "I'll deal with bad stuff when it comes." Itachi, of course, was still incredibly protective of Sam, especially with the baby coming so soon….

Two more months.

Well, nine weeks. But whatever.

Sam, Sasuke, and I were sitting at that table Sam had in her backyard. "Go on guys, talk to her," Sam giggled, placing her hand over her now obviously-holding-a-baby abdomen.

I grinned, pet her tummy lightly and said, "Hey, there, baby. It's your future aunt talking. Just so ya know, I'm gonna be your favorite aunt, okay?"

Sasuke just rose an eyebrow, not rising from his seat. "Is it really listening?"

"Yep!" Sam replied matter-of-factly. "Itachi talks to her all the time. I know it sounds weird, but I _know_ she can hear us."

"How do you know the baby's a girl?" I asked quizzically.

"I don't," she shrugged. "But that's what I'm guessing, even though Itachi's still set on him believing our baby's a boy." She looked back at Sasuke. "Go ahead and talk to her!" she coaxed. "My tummy won't bite, and besides, the doctor says that she'll actually get used to voices, and be comforted by them after their born. That's why they always react to their mommy's voice, see? And if you wanna be her favorite uncle, I'd suggest you do some talkin'."

He blinked, and hesitantly leaned forward, getting his face near the baby-to-be. "Er… hi. Your uncle speaking. …I know you're going to be a wonderful child, girl or boy." He looked up at Sam's face and cocked his head to the side as if to say, "Is that good?"

"That's good, you poor excuse of an uncle," she huffed.

"I am not a '_poor excuse of an uncle_,'" he replied.

"Oh, _really_?" she scoffed.

"But I'm an awesome aunt, right?" I grinned.

"_No_," she pouted, which made me laugh. Sasuke and I left soon after, an innocent leave. We were just going to buy lunch to go at Ichiraku, then bring it back for Sam, Sasuke, me, and Itachi to have. Itachi was going to be back soon, so… yeah. Sam, in our absence, began wandering the field behind her house until she reached the woods. She peered within its greenish shade, as if trying to find something hiding inside of it. She could have _sworn _she saw a shadow move.

Oh, a squirrel.

And what was that?

Just a bird.

What was wrong with her? She couldn't help but wonder. She shook her head, and began walking back to her house, when none other than _Danzo_ jumped from the shadows, restraining her by the neck, causing her to yelp.

"Ack, what the hell, old man?" Sam cried, struggling to break free.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I honestly have no control over my actions."

"Psh, yeah right. Now let the pregnant lady go."

"I _can't_."

"Stop lying, you—" she gulped when she looked up at him, noticing the whites of the old man's eyes were black. Then, she squirmed harder, screeching, "_ZOMBIE! He's a ZOMBIE!_" followed by a pure scream of fear. Sam didn't like zombies. She can be afraid of some of the oddest things, though. She was afraid of zombies, guys with chainsaws, potatoes, nuns, thunder…. The list goes on. Well, now we knew what happened to Danzo after he disappeared from the prisons.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" it wasn't Danzo speaking. Instead, it was a voice in the woods.

"_Yeah_, you mother-fluffer!" Sam retorted. "What was your first clue?"

"And I'm assuming the father is of this world, not yours, correct?"

Sam could already guess who the person was. "Yeah, you boofhead!"

"And do you know what that entails?"

"_What_ entails?"

"The child. The child born of both worlds."

"Uh… awesomeness?" Sam guessed. "'Cause I _know _my baby's gonna be awesome."

"No. Being born of both worlds makes he or she incredibly powerful, and _that _means…." Kabuto appeared out of nowhere, jumped for her in a very lethal fashion with a grin on his face and eyes wide. Midair, he finished, "…_It must DIE!_"

She closed her eyes tight, unable to move, waiting for the blow. Waiting for the random kunai he held to pierce her. Waiting for her own death. Waiting for anything but what actually came. She felt warm liquid on her cheeks, and after a second of no pain, she opened her eyes. In front of her was Itachi. He had, at the last second, jumped in front of her for her protection, with no time to stop Kabuto's blow altogether. She stared, disbelieving, at the tip of the bloody kunai that pierced her weasel's chest. (Yes, she called him _her weasel_. Wow. Just wow.) She choked out his name, only then realizing she was crying.

"Well then, I assume you're the father?" Kabuto smirked.

Itachi gave a stiff nod, gripping his attacker's wrist tight. "You… won't… kill my family…," he growled through gritted teeth.

"Oh, is this your pathetic excuse for a family now?" Kabuto asked, holding up his other hand, blazing it with chakra.

Itachi eyed it determinedly. "It… is not… _pathetic_. It's merely what… is… close to me. You may not understand… such a thing." He ripped Kabuto's kunai from his chest, still holding his wrist. A slash from Kabuto's hand. A block from Itachi. A final glance behind him, giving Sam a warm smile of reassurance. A blade that pierced him from the side during this opening…. A surprised yet blank look that Sam only caught a glimpse of as Itachi flew into the woods from the impact.

Danzo disappeared, and Sam fell to her knees, looking in the direction of where Itachi flew, with Kabuto trailing behind. However, by the time she looked, there was nothing there. She just sat there, tears streaming down her cheeks, as Itachi's words from that starry night years ago whispered with the wind. Or at least, it seemed like it to her. "_Yes, I am willing to die for you, but that isn't a challenge. This world is filled with grievances that I'd be glad to be rid of through death. The pain, the sadness…. You gave me something special, Samantha. You gave me something to live for, and that's a treasure to be held dear."_

Sasuke and I found her in that exact spot when we got back. She was blubbering her heart out, which certainly pained me… watching my best friend – who, by the way, had gone through a lot with me – cry so hard. We got the story out of her once her sobs began to subside.

"I'm… I'm not crying 'cause I wanna," she insisted. "I'm overly emotional…. I blame pregnancy."

"But what you described…," I began.

"Why _wouldn't _you be sad?" Sasuke came in.

"Yeah," I said. "If what you said is true, then that means Itachi is—"

"He's not dead," she interrupted. "No body. We can't know for sure. Besides, Itachi's awesome like that. He can't die just like that."

"She has a point," I commented, looking to Sasuke.

"Hn."

* * *

><p>Er... ta-da! ...Sorry for killing three more people off... Now, review or... you'll die too! (Unless you're in the story and you already died...)<p> 


	8. Chapter 7

Hello there, peoples!

Aha... I nearly forgot to update today... Probably because when I first went on the computer, it was to find Sam an L wig for an anime con she's going to. She was all depressed when the one she wanted would take too long to get here. So, when I got to doing my _own_ thing on here, I completely forgot about this. Oops.

Although, I don't know why I'm explaining this, really, since I _am _updating and thus my nearly forgetting is insignificant...

Well then, I hope you skipped all that and went right to the story.

* * *

><p>"<em>Wheee!<em>" I squealed, gripping the clay bird tight, enjoying every second. It was fun on that bird, let me tell you. I've only been on it a few times, but the times I've been on, it was fun. Especially since now, I didn't have to worry about the fact Deidara was my enemy, since he wasn't my enemy anymore. Ha. I'd been on once when I was first captured, long ago. Before Naomi came into play, and that was a _while _ago. Then again when I was forced to join Akatsuki, with Tobi leaving Deidara and I behind. Actually, I went on a few times in that situation. Then there were the few times I went on with him just for fun, in the time of peace after that big battle.

So, yeah. It was fun. But right now, Deidara and I were searching all around the woods of the village from the air to try and find Itachi. Or at least his body. Kiba and Sam were searching from the ground. (Sam insisted on helping, despite being, well, pregnant.) A day passed, and no luck. The search party tried even harder the next day, even adding more people to help (Sai in the air and Neji by ground), but still we came up empty.

"Sam…," I said, concerned. I was sitting beside her on her bed the morning after the second day of searching. "You said Kabuto was after you because of your kid, right?"

"Mmhmm," she answered, nodding.

"Then we need to get out of the village. He can get into the village without disturbing the barrier, and—"

"He had Danzo," she interrupted. "Danzo knows the code to get in. Kill Danzo, we're fine. I'm staying until Itachi gets back."

"Well, in the village, Kabuto knows where we are, and if he knows where we are, he can find you easily." She opened her mouth to protest, until I added, "I don't want to lose you too."

She paused, and stared down at the ground somewhat guiltily for a moment. Then, "I'm waiting for Itachi."

I thought for a minute or two. "How about a compromise?" I suggested. She looked at me. "We wait two weeks, and if he's not back, we leave."

"A month. We'll wait a month."

"Three weeks."

"Three and a half."

I pursed my lips, then stuck out my hand, which she took. "Deal."

* * *

><p><em>Dear Mom and Dad,<em>

_Has the show come back on yet? I've got a feeling it'll be on again soon. There's some big stuff coming our way, so I'm pretty sure the show will come up again soon…._

_Love, Natalie_

It didn't take long to get a reply.

_The premier episode is coming on this Saturday! It'll be so much easier to keep track of you with the episodes. Be careful and stay safe!_

_~Mom_

I looked at it a second, then nodded to myself. It was back on. We were in for a real struggle if it's worth watching. Looks like we were _back_.

I began getting together and figuring out the people who were coming along. Naruto couldn't come, since he went to Island Turtle (it was considered a "top-secret mission," but I knew better). Itachi would come, of course. If he came back. Sasuke had decided to come along. Sierra, which was good. If we were leaving in three and a half weeks or less, we'd need a medic-nin, with Sam pregnant and all. Suigetsu refused the offer. Anna simply wouldn't be left out. Deidara said he'd go, too. Sarah and Hidan weren't coming, and no one else would really come anyway, so… that made six of us. (Seven, if you count Itachi.) One day passed… then a week, then two, until three and a half weeks were already up.

Itachi was still nowhere to be found.

I went to the Hokage's office and explained to Lady Tsunade my situation. "Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?" she demanded.

"Sam didn't want to leave until Itachi came back, but honestly I don't think he will, so we're leaving today, and—"

"No! I _mean_, why didn't you tell me Kabuto broke into the village, that _Danzo_ is actually _dead_, and that Samantha's _child _is supposed to be incredibly _powerful_?"

I looked down, feeling slightly shameful. "It… uh… slipped my mind?"

"_That's _your excuse?" she asked quizzically.

"Well, I'm very forgetful!" I explained. "Sorry, Lady Tsunade…."

She stared at me. _Huh, _she thought. _She actually called me _Lady _Tsunade instead of her usual simple – and disrespectful – Tsunade. _

"I'm not disrespectful!" I blurted. She eyed me suspiciously. "Er, sorry," I apologized. "Sometimes I think that thoughts are said aloud…. So then… can we go?"

She leaned forward, folding her fingers together in a somewhat Sasuke-y manner. "Yes, but keep in mind I want to know _right away _if something like that happens. Got it?" I nodded. She leaned back. "Good. Now, who else is going?"

"Well," I answered, "there's me, Sam, Sasuke, Sierra, Anna, Deidara… and… that's it. Is that alright?"

She waved her hand. "Sure, sure. Go ahead; I don't want Kabuto to get his hands on that child."

"Have a nice day!" I called as I walked out the door.

"Yeah, you too," she replied half-heartedly, then took a swig of her sake as I closed the door. I heard her call Shizune's name as I walked down the hall, too. Then, I rounded everyone up, Deidara being the first. I was practically dragging him out the door, and he actually more stumbled down the front stoop.

I could tell he was trying really hard not to cough in my face when he stopped and said, "I don't think I can go." He didn't waste any breath with his 'hm's, as he turned his head away and coughed into the crook of his arm.

"But—"

"But I've got that disease, yeah! I kinda wanna live, and I don't think it would be smart to get any of you guys sick… especially Sam."

I dropped his wrist, staring at him, knowing he was right. "Well then… I won't be seeing you in a while…."

"Yeah."

I knew it would be incredibly stupid to try and pull a good-bye kiss if he was sick, and it wouldn't be all that smart to hug him, either, no matter how much I love hugs. "Mental hug?" I asked.

He looked at me through half-lidded eyes, eyebrows (though I could see only one) raised. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" I huffed.

He rolled his eyes. "Alright."

"Yay! At least I got a mental hug outta you!" I grinned at him. My smile soon faded, however, and I sobered up. "I don't know how long we'll be gone. I'll, uh, try to keep in touch. I guess… I'll see you as soon as possible then…."

He held out a clay bird, set it on the ground, and I stepped back at it poofed to a larger and more _living _form right in front of my face. "Use this to travel for a while. You can direct it, hm. When it starts to land, then… that just means I'm low on chakra and can't help anymore. Okay?"

I nodded. "Buh-bye, buddy!" I called with a wave as I sprang up onto the oversized bird, using my hand for leverage.

"Where are you going, anyway, hm?" he asked, then tried to conceal a cough with a clearing of his throat. He didn't much like to show weakness.

"Why, we're going to that paradise Maddie told us about way up north," I proclaimed with a smile. Then, I was off to round up the rest.

* * *

><p>"Oh my goodness, this is so exciting. We're going on an <em>adventure<em>! Yay!" I babbled.

"What time is it?" Sierra asked.

"_Murder time!_" Anna replied happily.

I cocked my head to the side. "I thought for sure it was '_adventure time_'…."

Anna giggled. "That'd just be an evil person's reply. I can just see Madara yelling out murder time."

"Madara isn't evil anymore," Sierra reminded her.

"Meh," Anna huffed. "I still don't like him. He's a big, fat meanie. And that's a fact."

"_Nooo_," I corrected.

"Aunt Natalie, he killed you," Anna said in a completely innocent voice.

"Not to mention all the crap he caused for the Uchiha," Sasuke muttered.

"But Madara is still awesome," Sam put in, kinda loopy from the medicine Shizune gave her for something or other. "And not to mention sexy."

Sasuke stared at her in disbelief. "So… you defend _Madara_, of _all people_, but you make fun of _me_?"

She giggled in a weird way. It reminded me of someone who was drunk, but that isn't too far off considering she had whatever Shizune gave her. I really hoped she was a good doctor. _At least Sam isn't all depressed, emo, and sobbing her heart out_, I told myself, which was all too true. She was devastated when I met her at the hospital to tell her it was time to leave – with _or _without Itachi. Then she just grabbed the medicine Shizune had left her, and swallowed it without even using water. I'm just glad she didn't choke (even though I knew for a fact Sam has to swallow it dry, and would choke if she tried to use water).

It had been almost a half hour when the bird had to land. It poofed away before Sam got off, which was bad considering she was pregnant. Luckily Sasuke managed to catch her, at which I let out an, "_Awww…._" Sam's eyes took on an incredibly sad look at that, so I stopped teasing.

"_Now_ what?" Anna asked.

"We walk! Northwest!"

"Northwest?" Sam asked.

I nodded. "We're going through the Rain Village."

* * *

><p>When night came, the atmosphere was all but cheerful. Anna was too tired to be enthusiastic, and Sierra had become serious when examining Sam and making sure she was alright. Sam's medicine had worn off hours before, so she was no longer particularly happy. In fact, her eyes were glassy and red from crying so much, and every so often she'd let out a small choking sound. I couldn't help but feel bad for her. And with my best friend so depressed, I couldn't really act all that happy, either. And Sasuke? He was never too uplifting anyway. His quiet demeanor just added to the depressing-ness of the area.<p>

We walked in near silence the next day. It was slow going; we couldn't hop from tree to tree considering Sam was unable to do that. It took extra time just walking. None of us complained about it though. It's not like she could help it. Being easily amused, I was able to stay silent like the others without being bored. I took interest in a caterpillar crawling on my arm, gazed at the scenery of the woods, even caught an occasional leaf fluttering to the ground and played with it as I walked. I even made it into a game – trying to catch any leaf I saw making its way down. So yes, I was fine with the silence. I didn't much feel like talking myself. Sierra, however, wasn't doing all that great. She began fidgeting after the first half hour, wringing her wrists, taking out and redoing her ponytail, and playing with her fingers. I think I even caught her doing a thumb war with herself. A few hours into the day, though, she couldn't take it any longer.

"We need to do _something_," she said.

"Yeah," Anna agreed. "I'm bored."

"Hn," Sasuke responded, indifferent.

Sam said nothing. She just stared at the ground, seemingly unaware of any of our conversation.

"Well, uh, what should we do?" I asked.

"Race? Play tag?" Anna suggested.

"No," I replied. "Sam would be left behind. We can't do that. We could fantasize what Sam's kid is gonna look like," I suggested. "Come up with a picture in your head and describe it or something." I took a glance at Sam. I had suggested this before when we were bored in the Leaf, and she refused immediately, annoyed with the idea. Now, I didn't see any indication of protest.

"Nah," Sierra frowned with a wave of her hand. "How about we play a game?"

"What kind of game?" Anna asked suspiciously.

"I dunno…."

"No truth or dare," I said. "Maybe… I Spy? Or maybe that one game where you make up a story?"

"Make up a story?" Sierra asked.

"Yeah," I nodded. "We each take turns saying a word, and it's supposed to make a story. Now that I think on it though, I don't wanna play."

"Anna, wanna play?" Sierra asked her little sister.

Anna grinned. "I'm starting!" She thought a second. "Once…."

"…There…," Sierra continued.

"…Was…."

"…A…."

"…Bunny…."

"…Named…."

"…Chester!"

"He…."

"…Was…."

"…Made…."

"…Of…."

"_Pickles!_" I came in, causing Anna to giggle, while Sierra let out a, "_Hey!_"

"You're so _silly_, Aunt Natalie!" she told me, then giggled some more. I just grinned at her and we continued on our way.

Another day passed, and, although the day seemed to go slowly, it was night again before we knew it. Sasuke wandered off, waving off Sierra's warning to stay close. He could take care of himself, and "only a fool would go too far from camp," according to Sasuke. A minute or so after he left, Sam took on a pained expression that lasted just a few seconds. Pained meaning it looked more like physical pain than emotional. Emotional pain seemed to be the normal look for her, at that point. Whatever it was that made her grimace snapped her out of her trance of endless misery, at least for the moment.

"I wanna take a bath," she mumbled.

Sierra nodded, rolling out a sleeping bag. "That's a good idea. Not only do we all need a cleaning, but the water for you, Sam, will be a big relief on the muscles, having to carry that extra weight and all."

I cocked my head to the side. "I think I hear water over there," I directed, pointing my finger to my left. Sam's right, however, as she sat across from me. "You want one of us to come with you?" I asked as she slowly got to her feet. She replied with a mere shake of her head, then walked off. Sierra and I continued setting up camp, while Anna just leaned against a tree, utterly fatigued.

Sasuke's story is a bit more amusing, so I'll go right to that instead. I doubt you want to read about rolling out sleeping bags and setting out supplies and organizing the watch duties for the night…. It's all very dull, if you asked me. Now, Sasuke had gone on a walk. This was normal; he loved to take walks. It was one of the few things he actually enjoyed doing. He headed off in the direction behind me, and just let his feet take him where they wanted to go. He headed straight for a time, but eventually veered to the right. He heard the water before he saw it. A river. After gazing contentedly at it for awhile, remembering a few of the times Itachi or his father had taken him to the lake, he decided to go for a short swim. Nothing special. And no, fangirls, he didn't go in naked. (I _know _you people are out there.)

As for Sam, she went to the same river, just a bit farther upstream. Neither of them had any idea the other was going there. Sasuke hadn't said where he was going, and Sam said she'd go to the water after Sasuke had left. Sam, being in that misery trance that all of us figured she wouldn't come out of any time soon, had no idea Sasuke was there even when she got there. Sasuke was having one of his rare moments in which he was actually _relaxing_, with his eyes _closed_, so he had no idea about Sam, either. This next little moment I'm actually glad Sam didn't tell me about, because I'd probably make her feel even worse by laughing and laughing….

By the time Sasuke actually noticed her, she was near ready to get in the pool. There's no way in hell I'm going into detail on that. Just use logic. She's about to take a bath. That information alone should be enough to figure it out. If not, then I underestimated you. I apologize. Sasuke let out a strangled sort of sound. Something like an "_Aa_—" Sam looked at him with misty, unfocused eyes, very slowly processing what was going on. The first thing she noticed was that his eye was twitching, then…. A look of pure horror slowly, very slowly, spread itself across her face. A single twitch of her eye, a terrified scream from her mouth, and a jump of panic right into the water.

"_Holy shit Sasuke what the hell are you doing here you duck-butt-headed son of a bitch?_"

He blinked, regaining composure, then looked off to the side in annoyance. "Swimming. Is that a problem?"

"_Yes!_" she practically shrieked.

"Think of it this way: you're out of that fog of depression," he commented, then shrugged. "At least for now."

She frowned. "Now get out."

"You're right. I think I'm going to get out and go help set up camp. Meet you there, I guess. Don't die." He got out of the water, grabbed whatever clothing he did take off, and walked quickly away without even putting his attire back on.

Sam took on a tired, but utterly confused, look. "What just happened?"

What she didn't know is that what just happened showed Sasuke there was still hope in retaining the normal Sam, not the depressing one she was now. He even mentioned it once a few days later – the bit of hope for her, I mean. By the time Sam got back to our camp, however, she was yet again that depressing vegetable she was becoming. It was three days later when she showed a sign of progress. We were settling in for the night, and the next day we'd be reaching the Rain. Sam was especially depressed that day, silently crying most of the way.

It was June 9th. And, if you're not too keen on birthdays (like me), I'll have you know that that's Itachi's birthday. We did our best to comfort her (Sierra did the best), but I think she just blocked us out. "What if he doesn't find us?" she mumbled to herself. "We're leaving him behind, I know it…." The silence that day was more of a comfortable, sad silence. We all understood it, and it was no longer just Sam that was caught up in it. (And Sasuke, but he's quiet all the time.)

She was the last to reach our camp, and when she did, she wanted nothing more than comfort. Unfortunately, she kept blocking out Anna's, Sierra's, and my attempts. And Sasuke didn't even really try to help her out. Surprisingly enough, Sasuke comforted her at our camping place. Sam walked into the incredibly small clearing, and Sasuke actually opened his arm in a welcoming gesture. She couldn't help it. She just leaned in to his embrace, and they both stood in a silence none of us would dare break, with Sam crying into his shoulder.

* * *

><p>Yay! No one died! ...Even though it's still kinda depressing... Now, review or Sasuke will walk in on you taking a shower!<p>

...And if you'd _like _that, then it's Madara.

...And if you'd like _that, _then it's... uh... Jiraiya.


	9. Chapter 8

"How's Naruto?" Konan asked, pouring each of us a simple cup of tea.

"He's on a top-secret mission," Sierra explained, then sipped her drink.

"Ah," Konan said with a nod, then sat on the couch with Sasuke and Anna. Sierra, Sam, and I were on another couch. "I got a note from the Hokage; is it true that Kabuto's back?"

I nodded. "And he wants Sam to die."

"Not really her, just her baby," Sierra corrected.

"I'm right here, guys," Sam muttered.

"Yes, yes you are," I agreed, then looked at our blue-haired host. "How is the Rain Village holding up?"

"Things are going well, actually," she told us. "We're opening up to the world little by little, which I think is good progress. I'm glad to say I've eased the citizens' distrust caused by their leader's defeat, and that's good. We don't need more war."

"The Fourth Shinobi World War is back in progress," Sasuke came in.

"Oh, that's awful." She shook her head.

We chitchatted about normal things: power outages, pipe problems, relationships, you name it. We just tried to keep away from the subject of death. No one wanted to bring it up. Konan was still sad over Nagato's death, and my little group was still mourning the loss of our friends. Sam was most sad, I believe. Even Sasuke had his share of sadness: Itachi. Sasuke believed his brother was dead, and he loved his brother now.

Then, the inevitable question came along. It seemed a normal question, but the answer brought up subjects we didn't much feel like talking about. "What's new?" was the question, and it caused me to stiffen.

"A lot of shit's new," Sam muttered.

I sighed, and started from the beginning. Oro's fatality, Agatha and Ash's leave, Mackenzie's prank gone wrong, Britt's disease, Apple and Haru's death by demonstration, and Itachi's sacrifice. "And to top it all off," I concluded, "Sam's kid is supposed to be über-powerful, so Kabuto wants him or her dead, which is why we're heading all the way up north to a place of supposed paradise Maddie had mentioned."

"Maddie?" she asked.

"You know, Madara."

She blinked. "I thought he was dead."

"Well, I revived him, 'cause I thought he needed a second chance, and now he's on our side. So that's a good thing," I explained, then shrugged. "I know he was crappy in the past, but at least he tries to be nice."

Her only reply to that was a pensive "hm."

* * *

><p><em>In the center of a peaceful field sat a single red rose. There were no other flowers in this plain of grass, just the lonely little rose. A blackbird swooped down, cocking its head to the side, examining the flower. (And by blackbird, I mean I didn't know if it was a raven or a crow or… yeah….) The blackbird plucked the rose from the ground with its beak, and took flight. I knew it had good intentions. Even when the rose's thorns pierced the blackbird's tongue, a few drops of blood coming from the mouth of its beak, the blackbird continued carrying the flower.<em>

_The sun reflected on the blackbird's feathers, and the colors caught within the depth of its blackness were amazing…. It was… it was… _iridescent_, I realized. I'm surprised I thought of the word in my sleep. I noticed, though, that the blackbird never left the field, his home. However, a Tufted Titmouse – a little grey bird with big black eyes, a small and round beak, and a brushy crest – came and attacked the blackbird. It gave quite a fight for such a small bird. I noticed it was trying to get to the rose, but the dark bird clutched it protectively. However, it was more difficult to fight with the rose in his mouth, so eventually the blackbird crashed to the ground, defeated. The Tufted Titmouse flew off, also considerably wounded._

_The wounded blackbird just lay there in the field, the rose still beside him, until it appeared he breathed no more. A hawk. A hawk descended, flapping its wings to slow himself before he landed. He tentatively took the rose, though it stung him with its thorns even more than it did the blackbird. He was incredibly hesitant about it. I supposed he wanted to make sure the blackbird's life was over. I didn't see it as stealing. I saw it as a bird, passing along a job of protection that he could no longer be responsible for. The hawk flew away with the rose, though a single petal fluttered down to it beside the fallen blackbird. The scene did not change to watch the hawk as he flew away, however, even as it left the empty meadow. My sight remained focused on the blackbird. It lay still, unmoving, and the only sound was the wind rustling through the grass. No movement, just stillness. No sound, no breath taken, no life…. But then I saw the blackbird stir. He lifted his head, staring after the hawk with his rose, and struggled to get on his feet. His wing was injured from the fall, however, and he couldn't fly to catch them… he couldn't get back his rose…. I found myself calling for the hawk. "_Wait!_" I cried, but it went unheard. "_The blackbird is still here!_"_

My eyes flew open, the feeling of pure helplessness still flooding and overriding my senses. I took deep breaths, calming myself until I remembered where I was. I was in the room Konan had prepared for us. It was a guest room, I supposed. Maybe it used to be an Akatsuki member's part-time bedroom.

I quietly got to my feet, and walked slowly to the door, making sure it didn't creak when I opened it. I peeked out, looked both ways, and, finding no one, stepped out. As I walked through the halls toward the main room, I pondered over that odd dream. It seemed to have meaning to it. But usually when I had dreams with meanings, it had people I knew in it. People I cared about. I didn't know any blackbirds or hawks or Tufted Titmice. And what was with the rose? Did it mean anything?

I looked out of the mouth of the tower, Pain's Tower. (And yes, it was literally a mouth, albeit a mouth made of metal.) I breathed in the fresh air, the scent of rain in the air. When wasn't there a scent of fresh rain in the Rain Village? I found Konan standing on the tower's tongue, which looked out on the entire city. I stepped forward, but decided against interrupting the silence.

"Hello, Natalie," she greeted, not turning to look at me.

I just then noticed that it wasn't raining for once. I smiled at that, then said, "Hi," in reply. I stepped onto the tongue, only just seeing how wonderful a view it was – looking out over the tall (yet still below us) metallic skyscrapers, the rowed ducts, and the intricate pattern of power lines. I folded my hands behind my back, and shifted my weight to my left leg, standing beside the leader of the Rain. A breeze blew directly toward us, and I sighed at the comfort it brought. I'd always loved the wind. "Does it get any easier?" I asked incredibly soft, as if trying to ease the silence away instead of breaking it.

"What?" she asked, her voice almost whisper.

"The grief."

She pursed her lips, and continued gazing out over her village. "It does get easier," she said carefully, "but it doesn't go away. It never goes away. But… at least time lessens the pain. It eases it. The firsts always seem the worst. First birthday, first holiday without them. Sometimes the pain just hits you, but after a while… you're able to move on…."

I nodded. And then… it began to rain.

* * *

><p>"Bye, Konan," I smiled. "Thank you for your hospitality. I'm sorry for not alerting you before we left so you were aware…."<p>

A small smile ghosted over her lips. "It's fine. Goodbye, all of you, and good luck."

A "Thanks," was given by Sasuke, while Sierra and I gave a, "Thank you." Anna just grinned, and Sam…. She said nothing.

Konan walked over to Sam and put her hand on her shoulder. Sam looked up at her, eyes weary and sad. Tears just didn't come anymore; she'd run out. "It gets easier, I promise," Konan whispered. She smiled lightly. "And congratulations on the baby."

* * *

><p>The Rain's country was small, so it didn't take too long to get into the Land of Earth. …Or at least, the border of it. "No one told me there were <em>mountains<em> here!" I cried, looking up at the sheer size of the obstacle.

"I thought you knew," Sasuke shrugged.

"Okay then," I sighed. "We'll just… go to that lower area there." I indicated a place where two mountains connected. It wasn't low enough to be considered a valley, but it was lower than the rest of the mountain range. After that, all we could do is hope there were easier-to-travel-by valleys on the other side. And so, we began the trek up the mountain. Half an hour in, and Anna was complaining.

"I'm tired," Anna moaned, exaggeratingly dragging her feet up the slope. Hey, I'm just glad she kept quiet until then. She was getting stronger, that was for sure.

I heard labored breathing behind me, and looked back to see a haggard Sam, doing her best to make her way up. "Guys…," she groaned. "I really think I'm gonna be sick…." She stopped, then plopped herself down on the ground. "I can't go any further…."

We all rushed back to her. "C'mon Sam," I coaxed, crouching down and putting her arm around my shoulders. Sasuke did the same on her other side, Sierra fretting all the while. "You can do this; just lean on me." She did so, and I nearly toppled over.

"Lean on both of us," Sasuke suggested. She tried that, and we began dragging her up.

"You know," I said through gritted teeth, "You could at least try and help. Move your feet a little, at least." She obeyed, but didn't reply.

We made camp at the top, barely before the sun had set. The view was breathtaking, as there were no mountains past this that we had to go through. It was just a vast expanse of rock. There was an occasional bush here and there, but it was generally very desolate. Nonetheless, we immediately went to sleep that night, trying not to worry about the rest of our travels.

* * *

><p>Konan was sitting on the tongue of Pain's Tower, looking over the city, letting the rain soak her through her Akatsuki cloak. She still wore it. It was a symbol of justice to her, the red clouds representing the blood of the Rain Village…. But you probably already know this. She sensed someone else's presence, but didn't look behind her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice hard.<p>

"Why, I came for a visit," was the reply. "Is that alright?"

"I don't remember inviting you."

"Me neither." She heard a light _clink_, and stood quickly, pivoting on her heels to face the enemy as she pulled back her arm, which was already breaking apart into pieces of paper. A figure came at her, but she made a flip backward, falling off of the metal tongue, and spread her paper wings. She spread her arms wide, and small pieces of paper seemed to float all around her, and her enemy.

"You don't seem very kind," the intruder admonished, leaning back nonchalantly. "You just had visitors, did you not?"

Konan didn't reply, but the paper attacked the man with a wave of her arms. However, he dodged swiftly. Easily. She began sending out discreet paper bombs, hoping to catch him off-guard. She dispersed into the wind, riding the breeze of air, feeling so free and light as she became paper. She reformed behind the man, and pulled out a kunai, ready for the kill, ready to end this battle quickly….

Until he brought his hand back and stabbed her in the stomach. She paused, choking up blood, and put the kunai to his throat as she clutched her wound to staunch the bleeding. The shinobi brought up his other arm, twirling skillfully to slice the origami user's throat before she could his. She let out a choked sort of a gasp, then he stabbed her in the chest to end it. A single sheet of paper fluttered off, with an urgent note to her recent visitors – my group. It was a last effort to warn us that… that….

The man caught the sheet before it could blow away, and crumpled it in his hand.

The citizens of the Rain awoke the next morning to find papers littering the streets. Hanging by a rope was their angel, wings still attached and stained red. She looked to have been hanged, but there were marks of a battle: a stab wound in the chest and stomach, and a slit in her throat that was hard to see. The rope was thin but strong, so it was difficult to see when she was so high up, but the growing pool of blood below her and the way her eyes were blank and her head lolled to the side indicated her lack of life. Some of the shinobi of the Rain couldn't help but think of her title of the Angel of Death. And, even in this state, their angel still appeared to fly.

And, on every piece of paper, there were the blood-red initials of _KY._

* * *

><p>Um... Sorry for, uh, killing Konan too... Aha...<p> 


	10. Chapter 9

Yes! A double update? And why? Because... I finished this story. Sadface...

* * *

><p>"Another day, another nickel!" I chirped, rolling up my sleeping bag the next morning.<p>

"I thought it was another _dollar_," Sam grumbled.

I smiled. At least she was responsive. "Spongebob," I explained.

Sasuke gave me an odd look.

I just shook my head, bounced to my feet, and announced, "Today, we go _downhill!_"

* * *

><p>"Downhill isn't fun either," Anna muttered, rubbing her feet at nightfall.<p>

I sighed.

"And colder," Sierra added.

"Point," I mumbled, yawned, and got into my sleeping bag. "Sasuke, you're first watch."

He nodded, walked over to the veggie Sam, and leaned down. "Please stop going to the past," he whispered right before I drifted off. I was asleep by the time he said his next words. "I know it's sad. I get that. I, of _all people_, should get that. My family's been gone for a long time now."

Sam's response was actually looking up at him. There's some progress.

"Just come to the present right now," he chided, actually sounding nice. Trust me, this is kinda rare. "You can look back and reflect on things when we get to safety. Until then, stay with us, okay?"

Sam blinked slowly.

Sasuke sighed. "You know, it hurts me to see you like this."

Sam's eyes expressed obvious confusion.

"So…." He tried not to look sheepish. "At least talk to us once in awhile. You don't have to be talkative, just don't take it all on your own. We're all here for you."

She looked down again, looking almost guilty. "Okay," she whispered, and an awkward silence consumed the mostly one-sided conversation. Sam pointed to her sleeping bag. "I don't fit," she said abruptly, just when Sasuke was about to walk away.

Sasuke blinked. "Oh," he said, got his sleeping bag out of his backpack, and spread it out on the rocky ground. "You can lay on this," he said, gesturing to it, "and use yours as a blanket," he finished, already unzipping hers. Sam did as he suggested.

"I feel like a whale," she muttered as Sasuke spread the blanket over her.

He allowed a small, lopsided smile before he headed to sit at watch. Sam was getting herself back.

* * *

><p>"I hate mornings, hmmm," Deidara grumbled, rubbing his right eye. He gazed wearily at the rice pilaf left on his table, still warm. He frowned and read the note. It was from Sakura, wishing him well. He scowled. He hated rice pilaf. With a passion. He sat on the chair and stared at it for a second. "At least Natalie understands what foods I hate," he muttered, then forced himself to take a bite.<p>

He ate it very, very slowly. He was only three bites in when a slip of paper landed in his dish. He smirked, gladly accepting a slip of paper out of nowhere. _Yes. An excuse not to eat this crap, hm, _he thought. Then, sobering up, he took the slip of paper out of the bowl and unfolded it.

_Deidara, this is technically to Natalie, but I can't contact her. So, I'm sending this to you, to give to her. So… give this to her, okay? Both of you are invited to mine and Shikamaru's wedding, which will be this Saturday. I sure hope our days are the same._

_-__ Agatha_

He blinked at the note, then wrote,

_Natalie's away right now. A lot of crap's going on, so she had to leave for awhile. Sorry._

_-__ Deidara_

He refolded the paper, then looked around. "How the hell do I send this back?" he muttered to himself. A shimmer in the room caught his eye. He hesitantly held the paper towards it, and suddenly his note was sucked away, at which he pulled his hand back in surprise. Not long after, and another note appeared.

_Oh, really? That… isn't good. Who's with her that isn't a Riaru?_

He frowned, then put simply,

_Sasuke._

He sent it back, and the note back was a mere two words long:

_Thank you._

He sighed, satisfied, then pushed the rice pilaf away. "Now, hm, what's for breakfast?"

* * *

><p>"<em>Weee're<em> of to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz!" I sang happily, skipping forward. Anna and Sierra hooked arms with me, and joined in, both of them humming the words they didn't remember. "We hear he is a wiz of a wiz, if ever a wiz there was! If ever, oh ever, a wiz there was, the wizard of Oz is one because, because, because, because, _becaaauuuse_…!"

"Because of the wonderful things he does!" Sam's voice rang out, and I grinned at her, happy she was getting herself together. Of course, back then, I didn't know Sasuke played a part in it.

"What the hell are you singing about?" Sasuke, being the grump he is, asked, sounding annoyed.

"The wizard of Oz, of course!" I grinned.

He sighed. "Don't waste energy. There isn't very much water around here."

I sighed dramatically. "Poo you."

He opened his mouth to reply, but a small sheet of paper seemed to blow in his face out of nowhere. He frowned, peeled it off of his face, looked at it, and said, "It's for you," while holding it out to me. I took it, and examined it.

_What's going on? Something bad, I know, but… what's so bad you had to leave the village?_

_-__ Agatha_

I blinked, then wrote simply,

_Kabuto's back. People are dead. Sam's baby is apparently really powerful, and Kabuto wants her dead. We need to hide from him. So, yeah. That pretty much sums it up._

_~ Natalie_

It took only three seconds to catch the familiar shimmer of a portal in the air, and send it back. Her reply?

_Can I come see you? Or you come see me? I'm thinking we need to talk._

I frowned. Actually, what better place to hide than in another world? Kabuto would never suspect it, and even if he did, he couldn't get there. I looked at Sasuke. _But then again_, I thought, _if what Kabuto says about souls is true, then Sasuke might be greatly affected if he goes there._ I pursed my lips, and wrote back,

_Not right now. I'll send a note to Shikamaru when we get to safety._

Her reply was simply,

_Okay. Good luck!_

I pocketed the notes, then we went forward again.

* * *

><p>"I'm thirsty," Anna mumbled.<p>

"Me too, Anna, but we don't have much," Sierra said. "Besides, Sam should be the one to get water first."

Sam nodded vigorously. "'Cause I'm awesome!" she exclaimed.

I smiled. "Well… good night. Sierra's first watch…." I turned over in my sleeping bag and went to sleep.

The next day was uneventful. We found water, and stocked up on the much-needed liquid, drinking our fill. We even decided to camp there for the night, in case it was a while before we found more. It was my turn for first watch that night. I sighed, dipping my fingers in the pool of water, moving my hand around, making ripples.

"The moon is pretty," I commented to myself quietly. Everyone else was already asleep. Nothing came up that night, and I eventually switched with Sasuke, to go to sleep.

The next morning we continued our trek. "Hey, look, there's the Hidden Stone Village!" I said, pointing to the village far to our right.

"And there's a river up ahead," Sasuke added.

"Oh, boy!" I squeaked. Later in the day, though, I began feeling oddly lightheaded. I started taking deeper breaths, and darkness began to cloud my sight. _What the hell?_ I wondered. Soon, I began seeing something altogether different. Well, first I heard yelling. At first, I thought it was someone calling my name. I mean, that would make sense, right? I didn't even know if I was standing upright anymore. But no… it was something else….

"_What do you _mean _it collapsed?" Good, a voice I recognized. Tsunade._

"_It didn't collapse, it… it…."_

"_It _what_?"_

"_A rockslide! It was a rockslide!"_

"_No, I don't think this was an accident." Was that Konohamaru?_

_It was then that an image came into view. Rocks, a huge boulder…. "God, I feel like Obito right now." _

Oh God…,_ I thought. _No…. Who is…? Is it…?

_Sarah seemed to look directly at me. "No one's around, I'm crushed by a boulder… that's nice. Better than being pregnant though."_

Wow.

"_Natalie…. I know your watching this. I just know…. I wanna say I'm gonna be alright, but I doubt it considering most of my body is crushed. Just keep going, you and Sam. Tell her there are supposed to be ups and downs in life. See ya later…." The light in her eyes faded just as Konohamaru, Ebisu – so that was the voice I didn't recognize – and Tsunade ran to where the supposed rockslide happened…._

Everything faded to black again. _Why is it still dark? _I thought, feeling panicked. Then I noticed that – oh – my eyes were closed. I opened my eyes quickly, sitting up abruptly. _When did I lay down?_ I didn't notice there was a head above mine, so I bonked heads with Sierra and lay right back down again. Anna giggled as we both rubbed our heads. "It's sunset?" I asked, confused as to how much time had passed.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied, already setting up camp. We were beside a river….

"Who carried me?" I asked flatly.

"That would be me," Sierra replied, raising a hand.

I sighed, trying not to cry once the reality of what just happened set in. "Guys, I have some bad news."

"Wonderful," Sam muttered. "Just get it over with quickly, whatever it is."

I pursed my lips. I had somehow looked through a camera without my consent; that's what had happened. "I think… I'm pretty sure that…." I paused, not sure how to word this.

"Just spit it out," Sasuke sighed.

"Sarah's dead," I said abruptly.

Sam's breath caught in her throat. A soft whimpering was heard from her. It made sense. Sarah was one of her best friends. It's no wonder Sam was depressed about the new death. I fell asleep that night to the sound of flowing water and Sam's soft whimpering….

* * *

><p>"Is that a forest up ahead?" I asked wearily. We had thought walking away from the river was smart – it wasn't. So, we wandered around for a week before we re-found the river, and then just now we saw what seemed to be a forest ahead.<p>

"There aren't forests in the Land of Earth, though. Perhaps that is the paradise Madara mentioned," Sasuke mused.

"Or maybe it's like an oasis _inside_ the forest," Sierra suggested.

"That's most likely," Sasuke agreed.

"And the river leads right into it!" I pointed out.

"And maybe the paradise is _magical_," Anna fantasized with a dreamy grin.

"Maybe, Anna. Maybe," I said.

At the end of the day, we still hadn't reached the woods ahead, but at least we'd made progress. "We're almost there, I promise," I whispered to a now-yet-again-unresponsive Sam that night.

* * *

><p>"Are we there yet?" Anna asked.<p>

"No, Anna," Sierra sighed.

I smiled, thinking of Scotty as I whined, "I'm hungry; I'm thirsty; I have to go to the bathroom; are we _there yet_?"

"Isn't that what Scotty do on those trips to Grandma's house on the beginning of the trip just to be a goof?" Sierra asked.

"Yep!" I chirped. Do you remember Scotty? My cousin? The one that drove Deidara and I to the fireworks a few years back? If not, then poo you. If you _do _remember him, then I congratulate you on your amazing memory.

"Who's Scotty?" Sasuke asked.

"My cousin," I smiled.

He snorted. "I can see how you're related."

"Why, 'cause he's a goof?"

"Perhaps."

"Well, my family's weird, so deal with it. Hey Sierra, do you know the story of your great, great, great uncle or something like that?"

"Uh… which story?" She responded.

"The one about our ancestor that had diabetes?"

"…No, actually."

I grinned. "Then this'll be a story for everyone! Okay, so my ancestor had diabetes, and refused to listen to the doctor on what to eat, so he lost his legs."

Sierra let out a sympathetic, "Aw."

"Well, he had his legs embalmed in the freezer of a funeral parlor he owned."

"Ew," Anna commented.

"Yeah, well occasionally he would get a phantom itch, and he'd tell his sons at the parlor – if he was away – if they could scratch his left knee or something, depending on the feelings. And he said it actually helped."

There was a pause. Anna had her face scrunched up in disgust. "Uh, that's creepy," Sierra commented.

"No, just… weird," Sasuke said.

I smiled. "Yep, 'cause my family is weird. Like, for example, my mom and I both talk to ourselves." Not exactly weird to me, but whatever. Hm, it seems most of the weirdness is on my Mom's side…. "Oh, and my cousin thinks he's Orochimaru."

A short look of surprise was shown on Sasuke's face before he asked simply, "What the hell?"

"Well, they hated you. Honestly, they turned it into a game, poking one another's – and my – foreheads and thus dubbing the other Sasuke. Because none of them wanted to be you." I failed to notice Sam's expression darken at the mention of the poking of the foreheads.

"And what's wrong about me?" Sasuke huffed. "Why did they hate _me_, of all people?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe because I kept referring to your hair as a duck-butt or, at the very least, duck-butt-like."

Sasuke frowned at me.

I smiled.

The day eventually ended, and it seemed we were really close to the woods by now. "We'll reach it tomorrow," Sasuke said. And I drifted off to sleep….

* * *

><p>Eh... Why do people keep dying...? I hope you enjoyed it... Now... review or you'll be hit by a boulder!<p> 


	11. Chapter 10

_The woods were dark and sent off all sorts of evil alarms in my head. However, it also seemed very inviting. Almost like there was a sweet aroma that lured you in, and then caught you and trapped you. …Or something like that. Again I saw the shadow of a figure, flitting between the trees. Even when there was a flash of light, the figure remained in darkness. Even illuminated and bright on the outside, the figure was dark…. Does that even make sense? The figure began flitting closer, closer, closer, close enough to see its features. To see his face. To see that it's…._

My eyes flew open. _Damn,_ I thought. _I still don't know who that is…. _I blinked. _I always thought it was the woods around the village that was where it took place. Could it be the forest we're going to be traveling into today? Or do the woods represent something?_

"You up?" Sasuke asked. "Get ready to go."

After that day ended and another began, we followed the river for two days. On the third day of following the river through the undergrowth, something notable finally happened. It began with Sam stopping in her tracks every once in awhile for seemingly no reason, but then catching up to us immediately after. Then, something new. At first, no one minded the random look of pain that flashed across Sam's features for a few moments. Usually, it was just the baby kicking her rib or lung or something. A little bit later, we heard a small intake of breath from her, probably the same, we figured. It happened again, a pained sort of gasp, and a mutter of, "The hell…?" Eventually I asked if we could sit down, thinking all the moving around was making her uncomfortable. Everyone agreed.

"So, how is everyone?" I asked, trying to start a conversation instead of just sitting with the thick silence that seemed to hang around us so often now.

"Good," Sierra and Anna replied. Sasuke shrugged. Sam just… sat there. The conversation died right there. It had such a short life…. Five minutes later, and Sam grimaced, then tried shifting positions, growing suddenly restless.

We all looked at her. "Do you want to keep going?" Sasuke asked.

She nodded.

"One more minute," Anna sighed.

Sam relaxed, seeming at ease. Still depressing, but not restless. Three minutes later, though, and she was squirming again.

"Ready?" Sierra asked, sounding slightly concerned.

Me, Anna, and Sasuke nodded and stood. Sam nodded (hey, at least she's responding) and began to stand, but then plopped right down and shook her head vigorously. Sierra strode over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Sam, of course, shrugged it off. "Are you okay?" Sierra asked her softly.

Sam replied with a curt nod.

"You sure? Are you feeling any pain in your lower back at all?"

Sam glanced at her, then nodded.

"Guys, let's sit here a few minutes more," Sierra suggested, and Sam, as if to prove Sierra's point, doubled over and began to try and shift positions again. She mumbled something incoherent. Something like, "Why does being pregnant have to be so uncomfortable?" Sierra sat beside her and told her, "If the pain spreads to the lower abdomen, please tell me."

Sam blinked, then mumbled an, "Okay."

Silence. The sound of the water. Birds. Our breathing. My heartbeat. Then, "Ow… it's spreading…."

"Alrighty then, Sam, I have some news for you," Sierra announced, walking over to her backpack.

"News?" Sam asked. "I don't like news anymore."

"Well, Sam, you're in labor. Isn't that nice?"

"Just wonderful."

"What's that mean?" Anna asked.

"It means she's about to have her child," I replied, getting to my feet.

"It means the _baby's _coming?" she gasped.

"Yep," Sasuke responded, also standing. "I should probably… go, then. Come on, Anna."

"I wanna see, though," said niece of mine argued.

"When you're older, and _you're _the one pregnant, you'll see it," Sierra replied, taking out her medic-nin kit she brought for this very purpose, plus other things like infection and just general injuries.

"Poo," she huffed, then grabbed Sasuke's wrist and began dragging him away from the area.

"Wait right there," Sam said, then grimaced again. "I wanna hold Sasuke's hand."

"You _do_?" Sierra asked, surprised.

"Well, that's what people do, right?" Sam snapped. "Grab the hand of the nearest guy and squeeze the life out of it to distract the poor woman from the pain!" She emphasized said pain with a wince. "And I know _usually _the wife grabs the _husband's _hand, _but Itachi obviously isn't here right now!_"

Sierra blinked, shocked. "Uh… alright then, whatever you want to make you comfortable."

"At least she spoke her opinion," I mumbled.

"But he can't look," Sam added.

He frowned. "Of course not."

"Okay, good. 'Cause otherwise it's be kinda awkward and we don't want that considering it's been kinda awkward between all of us for a while which is, well, awkward," she babbled. Her way of taking the pain for now, I guessed. She doubled over, and just sat curled up for the next minute, gasping. "_Why does pain like me so much?_" she cried. "Go away!" She frowned. "And Sasuke, get the hell over here because I sure as hell am _not _going to crawl. Nope. No way. And I'm just gonna keep talking until I have a grip on something I can squeeze the life out of."

"She said h-e-double-hockey-stick," Anna murmured.

"Toothpick," I corrected. "I like double _toothpick._"

"Whatever."

It didn't take all that long to get the ball rolling. Sierra got everything prepared. I guess I have to take back my claim on knowing everything, because sometimes, I just don't _understand_ something. And, no matter how many times Sierra tries to explain it to me, I just don't get it. It was all too soon when it was near time for my unrelated-by-blood niece or nephew came. We knew we were getting there when we heard a sickening crack from Sasuke's hand. "…You broke my hand," he said flatly.

"Fuck yeah I broke your hand! Deal with it!"

Anna, beside me, gasped.

"Language; language…," Sierra tutted. "You're having a kid soon, shouldn't you care about how you raise him or her?"

"_I'm in pain!_" she replied angrily. "_Sasuke, I blame you!_"

"What?" he asked. "_Why?_"

"Because _you _are the only one I can blame it on!"

"Not really."

"Shut up!"

Anna and I were now hiding behind a tree, so as not to allow Anna to see what was going on… Sierra insisted she couldn't see. Sam at first argued about my not being there, me being her best friend, but she gave up when Anna wouldn't go away without me. So technically, we were only hearing what was going on. There were simply _wonderful_ cries of the pain of labor, until the sound of crying scared me half to death. There was a few sighs of relief. From Sasuke because she let go of his now broken and very bruised hand, from Sierra because no one had died in the process, and from Sam because the pain was finally over.

"Can we come out now?" Anna asked.

There was some rustling. "Yeah," Sierra said, "come on."

_I wonder who was right_, I thought. _Itachi or Sam? Boy or girl?_ The first thing I noticed was there was a wrapped up, wailing baby held up in Sam's hands. Tears were leaking down Sam's cheeks. And then, with Sierra's thorough preparation I was near positive of one very special thing.

It was a boy.

On his head was a small head of black hair, though I couldn't tell the eye color as he was crying. "Let me show you how to hold him," Sierra whispered, and took the baby in her arms. She made it so his head was resting in the crook of her arm. "There, like this. Here." She handed him back to Sam, and she held him as directed. "Okay, can you make sure the wrapping is tight?" Sam took the edge of the blue blanket that wrapped her son, and made it tighter. It was then that he began to calm down. Sam gave Sierra a curious look. "He's used to the womb. Being wrapped up like that makes him feel safe again."

Sam nodded.

"So, what's his name?" Anna asked, peering into Sam's child's light grey eyes as they fluttered closed into slumber. "He reminds me of Itachi. But as a baby," she giggled.

Sam bit her lip. "Aishuu. His name is Aishuu," she decided.

"Sorrow, Sam? Isn't that a bit… harsh?" Sierra asked.

"She's grieving," I reminded my niece. "Surely that'll be fine with Aishuu. He'll understand. I know it."

There was a pause. "Sasuke?" Sierra asked.

"Hn?" he answered, looking up.

"I need to fix your hand."

"Oh. Right."

"Wouldn't want it healing wrong," Sierra muttered, putting her hands over his broken hand, enveloping it in a warm green glow. "This might hurt…." She used one hand to snap the bones into place. Sasuke barely winced. But he still winced, so that just proves he _isn't _invincible. So _ha_, Sasuke. "I think we should stay here for the night," Sierra said after a minute or two. Sam nodded weakly, and Sierra whispered an, "I'm done," to Sasuke. Sasuke replied by flexing his hand, testing it.

"I think I'm gonna go to the top of the tree and see if I can see anyone following us. Okay?"

"Yeah," Sierra and Sasuke replied.

I climbed the tree closest to me without using my hands, earning an "Oooh," of awe from Anna. I looked past the tree line, back into the rocky expanse we came from. At first there was nothing, but then a figure made its way over a rocky hill and into my view. I frowned. At least it was going slowly. The figure wouldn't catch up to us in one night with the pace he or she was going. Heck, I didn't even know if it was following us or not. I scanned the trees, finding there didn't seem to be any ninjas flying through the trees.

I hopped down. "We're good."

* * *

><p>It was the next night when we went back to trying to convince Sam to stop being so depressing. Anna and Aishuu were asleep. Sierra had said babies were generally very sleepy the first week, but then they were wide awake from then on… even when you didn't want them to be. Isn't that nice? "Sam…," I whispered. "I forgot to tell you what Sarah wanted me to tell you."<p>

"And what's that?" she asked, sounding… not happy, and not looking up.

"She told me to tell you to keep on going no matter what. That there are highs and lows in life that everyone has to deal with. Take Sasuke for example."

"What?" he asked. "Why me?"

"'Cause your life's depressing," I explained. "Now, Sasuke, when he was little, lived in the shadow of his older brother, and wanted nothing more than his father's approval." Sam let out a small whimper at the mention of his older brother. "Then his entire family was killed off by someone he thought he could trust. He had to make the decision to break away from what friends he had, just to attain the power he needed to reach his goal of revenge. And then, upon learning the truth, he faced another thing: Itachi's illness." Sam bit her lip, trying not to cry (again), but I continued, "And once that problem was fixed, he had to face the fact that you liked his brother and not him." She let another whimper out. "And now, his brother is… missing…" – I stumbled over the word, believing Itachi was surely dead and gone – "…and now Sasuke is just as sad as you, Sam. Maybe even sadder, considering all he's been through."

There was a long pause.

"You know, it's weird having someone tell your own story _right in front of you_," Sasuke commented.

Another pause. "Sam, a lot of people have gone through worse than you have," Sierra tried. "For the record, though, Sasuke has had a really sucky life."

"_Thanks_," Sasuke frowned.

Sam let out a small laugh.

Sasuke sighed. "When… the massacre had recently taken place… I had no one to lean on. So, I had to take the pain all on my own. I know how hard that is." Sam wiped her eye clear of tears. "Stop shouldering the burden when you have an advantage I didn't have: friends."

"Yeah, that's what friends are for, right?" Sierra asked.

"I guess," she mumbled, "but all of my friends are dying off…."

"Not us," I corrected. "We're right here, and we're breathing." As if on cue, Aishuu let out a little sigh in his sleep. "And you have Aishuu. Don't be sad about things that remind you of what you lost. Embrace them so you can cherish your memories."

"You're right…," she whispered. "I lost. I lost the game of life." She handed me Aishuu. "Here…."

"_Oh my god Sam don't go suicidal on me!_" I practically shrieked. "_That's Sasuke's job!_"

Sasuke glared at me. "I'm not suicidal!" he snapped.

"Well, you're _emo!_ _Eeemooo_!"

"I'm not emo, either!"

"_Sure_ you're not! You're the Emo _King!_"

Sasuke's counter was cut off by Sam's laughter. "God, Natalie, you know I'm not gonna _kill _myself! Who do you think I am, the Emo Queen?" She stopped short. "_Ew! _That would mean I'd be married to Sasuke!"

The three of us glanced at one another. "So… are you back, then, Sam?" I asked cautiously.

"Sure, sure, now give me my child back, thank you very much!"

I blinked. "That worked better than we thought," I mumbled.

* * *

><p>"This must be it," I whispered in awe. It was breathtaking. A beautiful oasis, just as we imagined. The river opened into a pool of water, with water cascading down on our left side. In front of us was a barrier of rosebushes, serving as an illusion of protection, and a symbol of beauty. We had traveled three more days before we reached this place, and now, it seemed very worth it. No one could find us here, it seemed. The branches above spread over what would be the opening to the sky, only letting cracks of sunlight in and giving the whole area a soft green glow. It was warm and cozy, the perfect place. Flowers I didn't recognize bloomed, rimming the clearing, along with an abundance of moss – perfect for sleeping on. Filling the clearing from the center was lush, green grass, and there were birds sipping from the pool of water that I had never seen before.<p>

Sam walked slowly over to the rosebushes, plucked a rose, and fell to her knees with a sad smile, still holding her baby very carefully with one arm. I set my backpack on the moss beside me, and Anna, Sierra, and Sasuke followed suit. I heard a sigh from Sam, and I swear I saw a single tear drip to the ground. We walked over to her, surrounding her from behind, looking at the red flower just as she was. "He used to leave me a rose when he left. When he didn't want to wake me to say goodbye. The flower… was his goodbye." She looked up, to see the rosebush. "Is this his goodbye now?" There was a long pause. "He… he really is dead… isn't he?" she asked softly, looking back down to the ground.

Sasuke put his hand on her shoulder. "Most likely… yes."

Sam leaned into him, finding comfort. They'd actually grown even closer during the past three days. Sam found comfort in any connection to Itachi.

"Well this is depressing," I mumbled.

"Wha-? What are you doing here?"

All of our heads turned to look to our left to find none other than Madara gripping tons of firewood. "Maddie!" Sierra and I greeted with matching grins. He was our confirmation: we really were in his paradise.

"What are you doing here?" he repeated.

I sighed. "Sit down, will you? I wanna make this explanation thorough."

He obeyed my suggestion, setting his firewood down and sitting nearby where we were.

"Madara's a bastard," Sam mumbled. "All he gives is grief. If it weren't for him, a lot of pain would be erased."

"Be nice!" I told her. "That's behind him now. Right?"

He gave a curt nod. "Now, explain."

I sat down. "Well, it all began… one and a half, two months after you left, I think. Britt got sick from a disease Kabuto created, and was killed with the illness." A short flash of surprise was shown in Maddie's eyes. "It caused an epidemic of sorts in the Leaf. Once that started dying down, Kabuto appeared, and killed both Haru and Apple…." I closed my eyes for a second, then looked back up at him. "Then Kabuto made another appearance and tried to kill Sam to make sure her child was dead. He… murdered Itachi in the process." This time it was anger that flitted over the Uchiha's features. "We decided to leave for the paradise you mentioned in three and a half weeks time, even if Itachi didn't reappear, because then we didn't know for sure whether he was dead. And… now we're here. So yeah."

Madara sighed. "I suppose you all can stay here until you feel it is safe to leave."

"Thanks!" I grinned. "Oh, and one more thing…."

"What?"

"Kabuto not only thinks you're dead, but he also announced that the Fourth Shinobi World War was going to continue."

Madara nodded. "Well, that's bad news, huh?" He stood. "And when I feel it's time, I'll be going back to make my reappearance, just for Kabuto."

* * *

><p>Hey... no one died... Yay! In fact, there was a birth! And thus, Aishuu is born!<p>

Ta-da!

I hope this chapter is a bit more enjoyable than the past few have been... Now, review, or... hmm... you will be nameless, forgotten, and alone!

...That's mean...

Be a nice person and review, please.

Yes, that's better. Have a nice day!


	12. Chapter 11

...Sam says it gets kinda corny in this general area of the story... So, sorry about that... It was probably due to my extreme lack of ideas, so... yeah... In the next few chapters or so it might get a bit fluffy. Just sayin'.

* * *

><p>I awoke from a dream of a figure in a blank void, who was warning me of something…. But I couldn't remember what she said. I think it was Britt who was speaking…. I sat there for a minute or two, concentrating hard to try and remember what it was she was trying to warn me about. Just when I felt I was grasping what she said, I heard a, "You're up early," behind me, which snapped me to reality and caused me to forget what I'd figured out so far.<p>

I turned to look at none other than Madara. "Oh, _hi _Maddie," I greeted with a grin.

He frowned. "It would be nice if you'd call me by my real name once in a while."

"Fine then, uh… uh…. _Holy crud I forgot your real name!_" I cried.

"Madara. It's _Madara_."

"Oh yeah…. I guess I've been using 'Maddie' too much…."

"I suppose so." A pause. "You know, that little path over there leads to the ocean," he said, gesturing to the right of where we first came from.

I blinked. "I'll have to tell Sam that when she wakes up. She loves the beach." I looked at the path he gestured to. "When was the last time I just sat on the beach, just to relax?"

"I can't answer that," he replied.

"Rhetorical question, smart one," I said, getting to my feet. "I think it was… it was… seven years ago, when Sam and I first went to Maxey Island. Wow, it's been awhile."

"Maxey Island?"

"That island in the real world that I always opened the portal on," I explained. "In fact, that was the island that you held Sasuke and me in, to experiment on us."

"…When you put it like that, it sounds worse than what it actually was."

"Yeah, but that's exactly what you did. You experimented on us."

He sighed. "Yeah…."

I grinned. "Hey, at least you're not like Orochimaru, who came into my room in the middle of the night and replaced half my brain with half of a raccoon's brain."

"He _what_?"

I shook my head, laughing. "My cousin thinks he's Orochimaru, and that's what he said he did to me in the middle of the night."

He raised an eyebrow. "Okay then. You have… odd relations."

"Yeah, well, your relations apparently hate the world, according to you."

"Good point."

I stretched. "So then, what's for food around here?"

He shrugged. "You can hunt for food, or there are the blueberry bushes near the rosebushes…." He jerked his thumb in the direction of the path to the beach. "There is good seafood too, if you know how to find it."

I gave a somewhat sheepish laugh, and responded, "How _do _you find it?"

He sighed. "Follow me." We began walking down the so-called path. It wasn't much of a path, and I liked that. It made it more of an adventure. We soon reached a rocky ledge, and below us was the ocean. There was a small ridge to our left that led down to a sandy beach.

I smiled, and chakra-jumped down to the sandy part to sit on the fine-grained sand. I sighed. "Ah, I love the beach," I whispered, echoing my first words on the beach of Maxey Island. When Maddie reached me – he was taking his time – I looked up at him and cocked my head to the side. "I just realized something."

"And what's that?" he asked.

"We met again. You said I probably wouldn't see you again, but here we are. And you're right there. I still see you."

He blinked. "I supposed you're right. But then, I didn't expect _you_ to come to _me_."

"Ah, I see a point there." I nodded. Then he proceeded to show me how to get the seafood that thrived here.

Meanwhile, back at the clearing, Anna woke up. The first thing she noticed was the fact that I was missing. Then, she took note that Madara was gone. After that… she screamed, successfully waking up Sierra and Sam. Sasuke had already been awake. "_Oh my gosh! _Madara kidnapped Natalie and now she's going to _die!_ _AGAIN!_"

Sasuke sighed. "Anna, Madara and Natalie went to the beach to get food."

She blinked. "They did?"

Sasuke nodded, and Sam sighed. "Don't scare the crap outta me like that," she scolded.

"Yeah," Sierra agreed. "And besides, you _know _Madara is a good guy now."

"No he's not," Anna huffed, crossing her arms.

"Yes, he is," Sierra replied.

"_No_."

"_Yes_."

"Oh my god, peoples, will you shut up? I have chocolate!"

They all stared at Sam.

"See? That shut you up."

"So… you don't have chocolate?" Anna asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Maybe."

Anna grinned. "I've always wanted to see you Chocolate Drunk."

"As long as I'm not involved, I'm fine," Sasuke said.

"But _Sasuke_," Sam whined, "don't you want some _chocolate_?"

"No. It tastes disgusting."

"Would you eat it for _me_?"

He thought a moment. "It would depend on the circumstances."

"Nice," Sierra sighed. "I think it's very amusing when you're Chocolate Drunk, both of you. …Even though I've never seen it happen."

"You're so easily amused, Sierra," Anna huffed.

"Yes, yes I am," she grinned, then squealed. "Later!" she squeaked, then ran off.

"Where is _she _going?" Sam asked as Aishuu began to cry. She got out a towel Sierra gave her and began to feed him beneath it. She was only just getting used to that….

"Off to be hyper, probably," Anna sighed. They heard a crash somewhere nearby. "Yeah, definitely hyper."

There was a somewhat distant, "_OW! I hit a tree!_"

And that was when Maddie and I made our reappearance. "Hey, guys!" I greeted, then noticed Sierra was gone. "Where's…."

"She had excess energy, I guess," Sasuke shrugged.

"Ah. We got seafood!" I announced, holding out some edible shellfish.

"_Ew_…," Anna muttered. "I _hate _seafood…."

I sighed. "So do I, Anna, but I'm hungry."

"Do you have any crab?" Sam asked hopefully, with a chibi face.

"No…."

"Aw." Sam looked down at Aishuu. "Honestly, I'm looking forward to the day he can eat baby food. This is kinda awkward."

Sierra crashed into a tree directly beside me, successfully scaring the crap out of me and knocking herself out.

"…Who wants breakfast? We got shellfish and blueberries," Maddie offered, breaking the awkward silence.

* * *

><p>It was nice living in paradise for a change. Days turned to weeks; weeks turned to months…. Around three months passed spent there. It had been… what, sixteen weeks since we left the Leaf? And now Aishuu was three months old! He was certainly getting more lively. Every so often he'd roll to where he wanted to go, or he'd play with his fingers…. I still found it so weird that he was my best friend's child. It was around this time that I decided to try and contact my parents.<p>

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_How's life? Things are going… actually pretty good here._

_~Natalie_

I got a reply back in a few seconds.

_Natalie,_

_Oh, for heaven's sake in the sink! You scared me, Natalie! You and your friends walked off the TV screen into the woods, and the camera's never on you anymore! I'm sorry about all that's happened…. Send Sam my condolences for Itachi._

_~Mom_

I smiled. Then, an important thought hit me. _I forgot to send Agatha a message! _I then facepalmed, feeling very stupid.

_Hey Agatha! Sorry it took so long for me to contact you…. I, um, sorta forgot. We're safe now, so you can come to us, and we can talk like you wanted to._

_~Natalie_

I then sent the note to Shikamaru. It took a bit to get something back. Five minutes, maybe? I was getting fidgety when there was a yelp from Sasuke behind me. I quickly turned my head to look at him, to find Agatha seated atop his stomach. "Aha… sorry Sasuke."

"Hn," he replied, and shoved her off.

I then glomped her.

"What the hell just happened?" Sam cried with a traditional anime expression: rectangle mouth and round, pupil-less eyes.

I released our friend. "Well, I came to see you guys," she replied, brushing herself off. Something caught Agatha's eye. "Oh my god, is that your baby? He's cute!"

"Yes, yes he is!" Sam proclaimed, proud.

"Where's the father?" Agatha asked, cocking her head to the side.

Sam's grin immediately faded.

"I've got a lot of explaining to do," I said.

"C'mon," Sasuke said softly, leading Sam, with her baby, away towards the beach.

"So… what happened?"

I began the tale of what had happened after she decided to stay in the Japanese version of this world with her brother. "So," I finished, "basically the summary of this is simple: Mackenzie's dead, Britt's dead, Haru's dead, Apple's dead, Kabuto's back, and Itachi's dead."

"That's a lot of dead."

"No chiz," I replied.

"Yeah…." She looked around. "Where are we, anyway?"

"Maddie's paradise."

She chuckled. "You would have thought Maddie-baka's paradise would involve a lot of dead people."

"One, he's not an idiot," I defended. "And two, he's not a bad guy anymore."

"Yeah," she agreed, shaking her head. "You sure have power, girl. Or at the very least stole the Therapy Jutsu from Naruto. …And changed it a bit."

"Not really. All I did was change something during that battle in the Land of Waves…."

"Was that all it was?" she asked, appalled. "Damn!"

"Yeah…."

"Oh, hey, did you know Shikamaru and I are married now?"

"…No. No I didn't."

"Well, now you do," she said matter-of-factly. "It was great except for David's occasional comments throughout the day…."

"It must be annoying to be around him all the time," I smiled. "Say, where's Ash?"

"She went into war the day after my wedding," she replied. "She was just in time to find a place in the attack before the troops went out… or something."

"It really stinks that the war is back up, here," I sighed.

"Yeah."

"War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothin'!" I chanted, and she gave me an odd look.

"Right…."

"Well, I guess you should get going then…."

"Yeah, I guess so."

I gave her a big hug. Have I ever mentioned how much I love hugs? "Please don't die on us," I whispered.

"I won't. I promise." And then she smiled, stepped away, and stepped through the portal of many colors I knew so well.

I walked out to the beach to find Sam. She was sitting on the sand beside Sasuke; Aishuu was gripping Sam's fingers, lying beside her, looking very comfy in the sand. Sam was leaning onto Sasuke's shoulder, and, with the sunset in front of them, they were only figures. It was like a picture. A drawn picture… or a painting. The sunset was like a painting….

I tiptoed down the small path to get to the sandy part, then, light-footed, I slowly inched my way towards them. I leaned towards them, then said in my normal voice, "Hey, guys! What's up?" Both of them jumped, and I started laughing. "Oh my god, I even scared Sasuke!"

"I was distracted," he mumbled.

"Distracted by _what_?" I asked. "The prettyful sunset?"

"How do you know I _wasn't _distracted by the 'prettyful sunset?'"

"I don't know. Why do you think I'm asking?"

Sam sighed. "Shush up, you two, or I _will _shove chocolate down Sasuke's throat." With that, she stood, scooped up her baby, and walked back toward the clearing.

Sasuke frowned. "She _does _have chocolate, doesn't she?"

I sighed. "Probably."

* * *

><p>"<em>Shut the hell up!" <em>someone screeched, waking me up the next morning. "_Open you're god-damned mouth, you stupid squirrel!_"

"_Mm-mm, mm-mm!_" was the reply, a very obvious indication of _no_.

I cracked open an eye, and decided to wake up with the sight I saw. Normally, I would have liked to sleep in. After all, as a ninja, I never had much time to sleep, but now, in this paradise, I could sleep in all I wanted. In front of me was a very angry Sam, trying to shove chocolate down Sasuke's throat.

"Sam… what did he do?" I asked carefully.

"He woke me _up_, damn it!"

"You should stop swearing in front of Aishuu, you know, not to mention Anna," Sierra said.

"I don't flapping care!"

"Flapping?" I asked, amused.

"Yes! My name is _Paul!_" she said in an odd voice that she called her 'Teacher Voice.' "_Go to the office, I ain't playin'!_"

"Oh my god, Sam," I sighed.

"It's moments like these when I wonder what normal is to you," Madara commented, shaking his head.

"Well, we're not normal," Sam grinned.

"We know," Sasuke replied, only to find speaking was a mistake. Half of a bar of chocolate was shoved down his throat. Literally. Anime could be an odd place to live sometimes….

"Don't _hurt _him," said Anna worriedly.

Sam shrugged, and Sasuke began to choke. Then Aishuu began to cry, causing Sam to scoop him up from the moss to comfort him as she yelled at Sasuke, typically blaming him. Maddie had a point. Stuff like this, no matter how weird it seems when I think about it, was a normal occurrence. Sasuke managed to spit it out, and thus wasn't affected by the chocolate, luckily. I didn't much want to see him Chocolate Drunk again…. It may have been amusing, but it was hard to control someone who was Chocolate Drunk. If you don't believe me, why don't you try it?

Another week passed in that calm oasis, out of the way of conflict and war. I was very content with the peace. Sam, however, was growing restless. I found her pacing before I got up, and that just wasn't normal for her. Getting up before me, I mean. She was the type who absolutely, positively _hated _mornings, if you haven't noticed. So, I knew something was up. "You okay?" I asked her, shifting into a sitting position.

She stopped pacing and turned to me. "We can't just _sit here _when people are dying all around us! There's a world war going on. We should be participating in it!"

I sighed and got tiredly to my feet, then leaned back on the tree behind me. "Sam, Kabuto wants your baby dead."

"I can go into a fight _without _my baby!" she responded.

I blinked. "You're Aishuu's _mom_; I'd think you'd want to be with him."

"I do, Natalie, I _do_, but… people are _dying_. Four of our friends are dead because of him, one of them being Itachi. I want him _dead_, Natalie. I want him _dead!_"

"Sam, Sam," I said, trying to slow down her emotions. "I understand you want to avenge his death – why you want to avenge _all _of their deaths – but right now we're not in the position to do that."

She sat down, putting her hand to her forehead in frustration.

"You do realize what you're saying right?" I asked softly. She looked up at me. "You're saying you want revenge." I let out a bark of laughter. "And now you can't criticize Sasuke so much!"

"Shut up," she mumbled. "Sasuke's a sasquatch."

I smirked. "A sasquatch?"

"Yes, a sasquatch!"

"I'm getting the feeling that being a sasquatch isn't supposed to be a good thing," Sasuke muttered.

"Oh, _hi,_ Sasuke, I forgot you were there!" I greeted.

"Hn."

A hand appeared on Sam's shoulder, and she whipped around, yelling, "_Oh my god!_"

"You're restless, Samantha?" Madara asked, automatically releasing her shoulder with an apologetic smile.

She nodded. "Now don't you _dare _scare the crap outta me like that again!"

"Sorry, Samantha. I just overheard – and observed – you were restless, so I thought I might suggest traveling to a nearby town that is currently holding festivities."

"Festivities?" Sam asked skeptically.

"Yes," he replied, ignoring her skepticism. "There's a small village in the Land of Earth that is holding festivities this time of year."

"Well, we don't _need _'festivities,'" Sam said angrily. "We're _already _on vacation!"

"I think it's a good idea," I came in. "How about this, Sam? We go to the festival thingy, then come back here and discuss all that's happened so far. Maybe we can figure something out."

Sam frowned. "Fine."

"We'll leave tomorrow, then, am I correct?" Sasuke asked, looking to Madara, whose expression was slightly shadowed.

"Yes. Yes, we'll leave tomorrow," he confirmed, snapping out of whatever thoughts that he'd been thinking.

This didn't do much to ease Sam's restlessness, however, as she just couldn't fall asleep that night. After many attempts to relax, she finally gave up. "Hey, Sasuke?" she whispered to the sleeping figure nearby.

The response was a tired, "Hn?"

"Can you make sure Aishuu's okay while I'm gone? I just want to go to the beach for a little bit."

Sasuke sat upright, suddenly awake. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked as Sam left her sleeping bag quietly.

"Nope. Not at all."

"Well, we'll get back in the game soon enough."

Sam gave a not-very-convincing nod, which Sasuke was able to see only because of the rays of moonlight around them, which gave the clearing a silver glow. "You don't have to stay awake for me, just stay close to Aishuu in case he wakes up. You can comfort him if he wakes up, right?"

Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh. "Sure."

"Thanks," she said, then headed to the path leading to the ocean. When she reached the sandy beach, she sat down, leaning back on the palms of her hands with a sigh. She just sat there for a while, staring at the near-full moon, thinking. She thought of a lot of things, but mainly she thought about Itachi.

Itachi, the boy that had been through more than she ever would. Itachi, the man she had saved on more than one occasion. Itachi, the only one whose voice she'd allow to say her full name. Itachi, the one who pledged his love for her through marriage. Itachi, the one who vowed to protect her with his life. The one who claimed she was what gave him something to live for. The one who proved he believed she was worth dying for.

Itachi.

She eventually got to her feet, and walked slowly towards the clearing we called paradise. Not really paying attention to what was around her, it scared that crap out of her when a twig snapped. She wheeled around to face none other than Madara. "You've gotta stop scaring me like that," she mumbled. Then she accused, "What are you doing up?"

"I'm on watch, remember?" he replied.

"Oh, yeah…. Then why are you out here, and not in the clearing?"

"Intruders would be hiding on the outskirts of the clearing. And besides, the biggest threat right now is the animals. That's what I'm keeping watch for, really." He sighed. "What will it take to earn your trust?"

"A lot," Sam replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed." Then she shuffled away.

"Uh, good night," Madara called after her.

Sam didn't respond. Her mind was still on Itachi. Why? she kept asking herself. Why did he have to die? Why didn't he, of all people, have a happy ending when he already had such a sad beginning? Why did—

The sound of music stopped her thoughts, along with her movement as well as her breathing. She knew this melody that drifted through the air. It was a lullaby. A beautiful lullaby, that Itachi had sung quite a few times. When Sam was sick and couldn't sleep, or sometimes even when Aishuu, still in the womb, would grow restless and cause Sam pain, and therefore not allowing Sam herself to sleep. "_Took ni ite mo kimi ni todoku darou…,_" the soft voice sang, resembling Itachi's so much it almost made Sam think it was, in fact, him who was singing.

"_Perhaps I can reach you, even though you're far away,_" Sam murmured, the meaning to the words that were just sung. She ran forward, slipped and fell, then scrambled towards the clearing, filled with a blinding hope that it really was him. That this wasn't a dream. That Itachi was, in reality, alive and well. Sam began murmuring in her head the meaning to the words as they were sung, tears streaming down her cheeks. _I send you this message with all my heart…. Hope is certainly a compass that turns to love…. Sleep, sleep gently, for tomorrow is a continent of dreams…._

Sam burst through the undergrowth and into the clearing, stumbling forward onto her knees. She looked up to identify the voice, wanting so badly for it to be him. Half-believing it would be him. When she placed a face to the voice, her eyes widened at the sight of Sasuke, who was actually looking quite pale now, especially with the silver ray of moonlight on his face.

"What?" he asked almost worriedly. What he saw was a shocked, crying Sam, looking at him with incredible sadness and disappointment. "I was just… soothing Aishuu… like you said to…."

She gave a jerky nod, crawled over to where her bed of moss was, ignoring her sleeping bag, and curled into a little ball of despair, trying not to let out too loud of a sob.

Sasuke sat there, unsure of what to do, until he lay down the now peacefully sleeping baby and made his way over to Sam. Feeling somewhat awkward, but also feeling it was right, he smoothed back her hair with his hand and completed the lullaby. She still remembered when Itachi taught her the translation of the song. She had loved the tune so much. He had said there were other versions of how to sing it – faster tempos and with instruments – but he always sang it slowly and softly…. The words ran through her head subconsciously as they were sung. _Last night you were scared of loneliness…. The telepathy in your heart called my name…. It's not even a miracle that in the future out hearts will be energy…. Sleep, sleep gently, forget your sorrow…. _Her eyes opened, and her eyes shifted upward. Sasuke was still absently smoothing back her hair, staring off at some point in the distance. She blinked. _I… I see Itachi in him…. _A wave of fatigue washed over her, and her eyes began to droop, feeling perfectly safe. She fell asleep to the end of the lullaby she so loved.

_The years sink into the sea like the setting sun…. I'll jump across the starry sky to collect you…. I'll jump across the starry sky to collect you…._

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><p>And there we are. I do hope you liked it. Now then, review or you shall fall for your least favorite character!<p> 


	13. Chapter 12

Okay. Okay. I'm tired, so I'mma gonna make this quick.

_**WARNING:**_ This chapter includes major OOC-ness. Not for any of the _Naruto _characters, but of one of the Riaru. Sam will not act herself in this chapter, and I apologize in advance. In Sam's words, she "would _never _do this." I was writing this at a point in which I didn't have very many ideas, and I hadn't yet learned the concept of letting the characters control the story. I get that now, but I didn't then, and I'm not fixing it, because that would make me have to do so much editing for later in the story too. So yeah, this gets a bit unbelieveable, corny, and kinda bad at the end.

_**IMPORTANT**_: ...But I swear all the corny stuff ends after this chapter. The period of OOC fluff shall end! YAY!

**_NOTE_**: Okay. One more thing. (And I call this author's note short...) I'm going to need you, the readers', help. Now, how do I put this without sounding stupid...? Well, this probably won't get much results, since this _is _a Naruto fanfiction, but I need all the help I can get. And the anime about to be mentioned is pretty old... Disregard the rest of this note if you don't know or don't care for Death Note. You see, I'm attempting to create - dare I mention it - a Death Note Musical, for my own amusement and just to make my friends laugh. Sam gave me the go, and my nieces are very enthusiastic about it. All I ask from you, dear readers, is that you give me any suggestions you may have. 'Cause I need all I can get.

...And that would be all. I think.

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><p>Anna and Sierra were trusted to taking care of Aishuu in our paradise while Sasuke, Sam, Madara, and I went to the festival thing. Neither of them really wanted to come, surprisingly. They loved the clearing and the beach. It felt utterly safe to them. No fear of rogue ninjas or bloodthirsty animals. No fear at all in that wonderful clearing….<p>

It only took two days to get to the village, now that we could chakra-jump through the trees. Madara, of course, had been right. The village he led us to was having wonderful festivities. It wasn't the same as a traditional Leaf festival, but it was similar. There were many open shops to buy treats or fake Anbu masks, but instead of the color red dominating everything like in the Land of Fire, this village for the Land of Earth's festival was filled with tans, browns, and greens. We were barely noticed in the large crowd. Relatives from other villages came for family and I swear I saw a few couples on their honeymoon. There weren't, however, very many tourists that I could see, since this village was so up north and thus nowhere near any other lands.

"Ooh, _tourists_, eh?" a man asked us from his booth; a food place of some sort. He was a stout, middle-aged man with a grey mustache and short, grey hair. Yeah, that's how I could tell he was middle-aged, other than the wrinkles on his features.

"Yep!" I replied proudly, jutting my thumb to my chest. "We're all the way from the Leaf!"

"Ohoho," he chuckled, putting his hand to his chin in thought, scrutinizing us through squinted eyes. "Would you like to try the Land of Earth's famous Earth Rice Cakes? The crispy texture is irresistible!" he added with a wink.

"Who's hungry?" Sam asked, already raising her own hand.

We all ended up eating there for dinner. I have to admit those rice cakes _were _pretty good, and I'm a picky person. The waning moon came out, and when we finished, people were dancing the night away in the town square. We paid the man and thanked him, then sat at an empty table, watching the people dance. It was a fast-tempo song, and people were going around to people they didn't even know, dancing and hooking arms with complete strangers. One of them managed to scoop up Sasuke, much to his annoyance. A girl, of course. Probably caught up in his good looks or whatever. Surprisingly enough, Sasuke, too, was soon caught in the fun. And that doesn't happen often.

A few people tried to get us to stand and dance a little, but I'd always reply with a grin, "I can't dance for my life." Sam just shook her head and said, "No thank you." Someone even eventually asked Madara to dance, and she wouldn't take no for an answer. He gave us an apologetic smile and shrug, and was pulled off to join the 'festivities.' I didn't really start up a conversation, as Sam's thoughts seemed to be a million miles away. She was thinking of a Leaf festival we had had a year or two ago….

Itachi, dressed for the occasion, had came to her and bowed just as a slow song had come on. "Would you like to dance?" he asked her. They danced to that slow song, caught in the moment…. But when the song ended, they went to eat. Itachi had a simple stick of dango, Sam had the same. She finished before him, naturally, and when she recognized a song, she pulled him to his feet and they danced again. Everyone watched as they danced to the song – it actually resembled the tango. It came to be known as the 'Dango Tango' to everyone in the Leaf Village, since in Itachi's mouth was not a rose, but a stick of dango.

On Sam's features was a nostalgic smile, just as a slow song came on. "Would you like to dance?" someone asked, and she gasped, probably thinking Itachi had risen from the dead for a last dance. She looked up to see Sasuke, bowing and looking up at her, feeling slightly awkward at what he was doing. She blinked, breathless, and nodded, holding out her hand and getting to her feet. Sasuke did a rare thing, then: he genuinely smiled.

I just sat there at that lonely table, zoning out and listening to the slow song that was playing. "You know," Madara said, leaning on the table to face me, also scaring the crap out of me, "it's not right to have a girl sitting alone during a song such as this."

I raised my eyebrows and smiled. "What makes you think I want to dance?"

"I never said you did, but…." He held out his hand. "I'm making an offer." He cocked his head to the side slightly. "I suppose you could think of it as our last dance."

I stood. "And our first, if you think about it."

"Yes. Our first and last dance."

"Why our last?"

He took my hand. "Do you know how to dance?" he asked, completely avoiding the question.

I didn't notice the change of subject. "Uh, no. Not at all."

"Just follow my lead then," he replied, then swept me away into the crowd of dancers.

* * *

><p>It was three days after that, and we were back at the clearing. "Okay, now what do we got for Uchihas?" Sam asked me.<p>

"They have chocolate problems, they're good singers, and they're good dancers. Anything else?"

"They're good-looking?" she suggested, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, Sam," Sierra sighed.

"Good singers?" Anna asked. "We've never heard _Madara _sing."

All of us looked at him. He was cleaning up people's sleeping bags while Sam, Sierra, Anna, Sasuke, and I talked. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I replied, shaking my head. "Now, back to business. Maddie, we need you over here for this one. We need all the geniuses we can get!"

Sasuke 'hn'd as Madara sat down, joining our little circle.

"Okay, so what's first?" I asked.

"Britt. She got sick because of Kabuto," Sierra said.

"Yes, but when?" I replied.

"It had to have been during that three-month leave she took," Sasuke came in.

"And how did she get sick?"

"Probably from an injection," Madara came in.

"Okay, so she was injected with a sickness during her three-month leave. Okay," I said, nodding. "Now, Haru and Apple practically died in front of our eyes," I said.

"Yeah…," Anna agreed.

"Itachi died in front of my eyes," Sam whispered. "And then how did Sarah die?"

"A boulder crushed her," I replied.

Madara's eyes flashed with momentary surprise. "Was it an accident?" Anna asked.

"Yes, it…. No, it wasn't," I realized. "I remember Konohamaru saying it wasn't an accident."

"So the cliff near the Hokage faces was booby-trapped?" Sam asked angrily.

"Something like that, most likely," Madara said in a low voice. (Not that his voice wasn't already "low.")

"Britt and Sarah… for both of them we didn't see the preparation for their deaths," Sasuke said.

"What are you suggesting?" I asked him.

"It's possible Kabuto has help," Sasuke said. "Maybe even a leader that he gets orders from."

"He said he captured Haru… but we didn't see that either," Sierra said.

"And is he so smart, really? Maybe he _didn't _figure out about that soul stuff!" Sam exclaimed.

"No, no, I'm sure he's the one who at least figured that out," Madara disagreed. "I know he loves to experiment with others."

"But how could he experiment with that if…?" I said, then shook my head.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"Never mind."

"There are no 'never minds' right now. We need to figure this out," he frowned.

"Nah, I just confused myself," I insisted, waving it off.

"Okay, so… Britt, Haru, and Sarah's deaths could have been constructed by someone other than Kabuto?" Sierra asked.

"Possibly," Sasuke replied.

"Great," Anna huffed.

"It would be nice to know _who _though, because if we know who it is, we can go for him or her instead," Sierra pointed out.

"Unless Kabuto actually _is _the leader," I said.

"And what about Apple?" Sam came in. "Her soul-bound character or whatever was supposedly 'found' by Kabuto, but what if it was found by this mystery person? I mean, how can _he _tell whose soul that is?"

"We don't know," I sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. "Now Haru, Apple, Britt, and Sarah were all possibly murdered by someone other than Kabuto. Right?"

"Right," Sasuke replied.

"Okay then… I'm gonna go to bed now. We'll think more tomorrow. Who knows, maybe I'll have a dream that'll help us. Good night, guys." I curled up on the moss, and went into a dreamless sleep. There was only a comfortable, peaceful darkness….We went over everything the next day, and nothing more was accomplished. We stayed in that paradise for two more months. Sam slowly began to accept the fact that Itachi was gone. She grew much more cheerful when around Aishuu, talking up a storm around him while he babbled nonsense right back. Her and Sasuke went on frequent walks, just to make sure they weren't sitting still. Sam couldn't _stand _sitting still anymore. Sierra wasn't too fond of it either, but her and Anna usually went to the beach and looked for shells or rode the waves. Madara would, on occasion, disappear for a few hours to a few days. He said that sometimes, he _really_ liked being away from everyone, especially when some of those people annoyed him greatly. He wasn't all that great with kids, I must say, but you could tell he really, really tried. And me? I usually spent my time on the beach; relaxing, daydreaming, and just in general enjoying the peace while it lasted.

"Mama," Aishuu cooed, pulling at Sam's shirt from the safety of her arms. He was able to sit up by then, so his head didn't loll to the side anymore when it wasn't supported. He turned for Sasuke, reaching over to pull his hair.

"He really likes pulling my hair, doesn't he?" Sasuke frowned as he tried to detach the little hands from his duck-butt-like hairdo.

"Dada," Aishuu replied, as if in agreement, and started pulling Sasuke's hair towards his mouth.

"Don't eat it!" Sasuke cried.

Sam, however, had a shadowed expression at the mention of 'dada.' "Sasuke isn't your dada," she corrected in an overly-sweet voice. Well, overly-sweet for _Sam,_ anyway. "Your dada isn't here, silly baby," she smiled, though her eyes showed sadness. She knew that Aishuu didn't actually connect what "mama" or "dada" meant yet, but she didn't want him to equate Sasuke to "dada" nonetheless.

Aishuu replied with a giggle, releasing Sasuke's hair and deciding to pull at Sam's shirt again. "Ada gah boo."

Sam smiled and nodded as if she knew exactly what he was saying. Soon it was time for his nap, and Sam and Sasuke went on a walk like they usually did. "Hey, remember when I hated you, and you hated me back? Good times, huh?" Sam chuckled.

"Hn," he replied.

"Oooh, or when I threw you out the second-story window?"

"I remember that _very _clearly, thank you."

She giggled. "Figured." Her face grew solemn and nostalgic. "Was that what determined whether you liked me or not? Me throwing you out that window?"

He blinked in surprise and looked at her. She didn't look back, and he looked off to the side. "Maybe it was. I really don't know."

"Natalie told me she thinks you liking me has something to do with the fact that I didn't like you."

His brow furrowed. "Come to think of it, she may not be too far off."

Sam laughed. "Of course not. She has too much time to think on her hands now, anyway. So then, I'm guessing you don't like hugs either?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "What kind of question is that?"

"A question you're supposed to answer."

He sighed. "I'm not too fond of them when their forced upon me, no."

"So if you randomly hug a person, then you're okay with it?"

"I wouldn't hug a person at random. I would only embrace someone if I felt the need to do so, and the person I'm hugging would have to be someone I trust, obviously." There was a pause, and Sasuke sighed. "I can't believe we're having a serious conversation about _hugs_."

"Me neither. So…." Another period of silence. "Okay, you're not comfortable with hugs… but… what about a kiss?" Sam asked thoughtfully.

Sasuke shifted in pace. "Why?"

"I dunno."

"Well, where do you mean?"

"Normally lips come to mind when someone thinks of a kiss," Sam replied.

"Alright… then I guess the same things apply. I'd only kiss someone if I felt the need to do so, I'd need to trust that someone, and… I'd obviously need to be close to whoever I'm kissing, of course."

Sam continued looking up at the leaves above them, softly glowing green. "Thank you," she whispered.

His brow furrowed again in confusion. "For what, telling you how I feel about kissing people?"

She smirked, but it fell quickly. "No. For comforting me when I was lost in grief."

There was a long pause. "Well, what else was I supposed to do?" was Sasuke's eventual reply.

Sam shook her head. "I don't know, but thanks for doing what you did. It helped." Another long pause. "Okay… new question."

"Hn?" Sasuke replied.

She stopped walking. So did Sasuke. "Would you… kiss me?" she asked, looking at the ground.

After a moment of confusion, Sasuke crossed his arms. "Sam, you already know I like you. That won't change."

"It's a yes or no question," she said flatly.

"Well, yes, I—No. No I wouldn't. You're question was _would _I kiss you. No, because you love my brother. I already got that in my head. You don't need to—"

"Your brother is dead," Sam interrupted, still looking at the ground, her hands now fists. Her hands relaxed, and she sighed and looked up at him with sad, sad eyes.

"Well, yes, but you still love him. Love doesn't die off when the one you love dies. I know that. I still love my parents. They're gone. I still love my brother. He's gone. So… you still love him."

Her eyes shifted to the side. "Yes. You're right about that, that's true… but… he's gone… and I'd like to try moving on…. That's what everyone's telling me to do, after all." She shuffled her foot on the ground, and Sasuke took a small step back.

"Uh, well, you shouldn't let people order you around, you know."

She looked back up at him. "You're the one who said to take other's advice, and not to take it all on my own," she pointed out, taking a confused step forward.

"True, but sometimes people are wrong."

She raised an eyebrow and took another step. "You're one of the people who told me I had to move on eventually."

"Okay then, I was wrong."

"This isn't like you," Sam frowned, cocking her head to the side. "You're not one to just say, 'I'm wrong.' Even I know that."

"Nobody's perfect. I can admit that."

Sam gripped Sasuke's shoulders. "I've loved you for a long time as a friend. I sometimes would wonder what would happen if… if Itachi hadn't made it through that illness… or we came too late during that battle between the two of you. Sometimes I wonder what would happen then. I don't like to, because that would mean thinking of Itachi's passing, but now Itachi really is gone."

"B-but we never did find his body, right?" Sasuke asked, stumbling over his words. "It's still a possibility he's alive."

Sam's hands released their grip on his shoulders, and they slipped back to her sides as her eyes went to the ground again. "Itachi's gone… even I've accepted that by now…. Please don't give me any more false hope…. The letdown is painful…." Sasuke was, yet again, confused as to what he should do as the silence killed their conversation and Sam just continued gazing at the ground. He frowned, then tilted her head upwards. There was still uncertainty in his eyes when he kissed her. Beside them, a figure in the brush, hiding in the darkness, watched the scene. He watched… and smiled.

Then Itachi collapsed and fell forward into their line of sight.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed this not-that-great, OOC chapter! Now review or you shall be OOC-ed!<p> 


	14. Chapter 13

The newest Naruto chapters have confuzzled me greatly... A lot of my story now does not make much sense at all... Oh well...

* * *

><p>Into our clearing of paradise came a sobbing Sam, a speechless Sasuke, and an unconscious Itachi. I blinked in utter confusion. Sasuke, in reply, pointed to his brother, wide-eyed, and said simply, "He's alive."<p>

I immediately stood and ran to the beach to get Sierra. After getting her back to the clearing, Anna at our heels, all I could do was watch as she treated him. She immediately placed her hands over his chest, using the Mystical Palm Technique. "Three broken ribs, all bruised, a gash in his side, a bruised neck, a broken leg…," she informed us, concentrating hard. "Okay… I can fix the ribs, the gash, and the neck…." She bit her lip. "We need to cut off his shirt; I need to clean his wounds. Most of them are in that area." Sounds of assent were heard as Sam found Sierra's medical scissors. Sierra quickly cut away at the fabric so she could easily see the injuries. "Water… I need fresh water." I prepared a bowl of water from the pool. "Bandages," she instructed, and Anna got some. Sierra dipped the bandages in the water I brought her and wiped them over an ugly red gash in his side. It seemed inflamed. I think. Then she put her glowing green hands over it and began to heal. Itachi winced, though still unconscious, as Sierra moved her healing hands to his chest, where his broken and bruised ribs were. After a bit of healing at the chest, she went for his bruised neck. "His windpipe's damaged too…," she mumbled.

"Is there any way I can help?" Anna asked.

"Not now," Sierra replied, continuing to heal his damaged throat. When she was finished with that, she said, "I need something sturdy, like a strong stick or…."

"Got one!" Sam said, giving her the stick.

"Thank you," she said, then took a gentle hold on his leg. "This might hurt…," she murmured, then snapped the bone back in place. Itachi responded with a grimace. "It's okay…," she reassured, breaking the stick in half and placing each half on either side of his leg. "Almost done, Itachi…." She secured the sticks to his leg by tying a piece of gauze around his leg, then relaxed. "He should be fine," she said eventually, looking up at Sam. Sam sighed in relief.

Itachi was alive.

* * *

><p>I awoke the next morning to the sound of, "<em>Itachi!<em>" My eyes shot open at the sudden noise, and I vaguely remembered the dream I was having right before I woke up. Something to do with chasing down an enemy, but said enemy hid in a glass of water, and I couldn't fit in to catch him…. Yeah, I didn't get it either. I looked over to find a befuddled Itachi sitting up and leaning on his hand, Sam clutching him tight, afraid to let go.

"Samantha…," he murmured. "I finally found you…."

"Oh, Itachi, I'm so _sorry_! I… I didn't want to believe you were dead, but it had been so long and… and…. I guess I was right the first time…." She burrowed her face into his neck. "Oh… I'm so glad you're _alive_…."

"Sorry for worrying you," he said, sounding hoarse. "I would have done better, seeing as I'm considerably strong, but I suppose I underestimated Kabuto. Plus, he kept threatening you, and if I didn't cooperate at first, I couldn't ensure your safety…." A small sigh caught their attention. "Is that…?" Itachi began, looking at Aishuu with a warm expression.

Sam smiled – genuinely smiled (that doesn't just happen) – and carefully picked him up to hold him. "Yes," she whispered. "This is your son. You were right, Itachi…. He was a boy, after all…."

"What's his name?" Itachi asked softly as Aishuu's eyes opened.

"Aishuu," Sam replied, sounding kind of guilty.

He took his eyes away from his son, and looked at Sam with concern. "Melancholy, Samantha?"

"Yeah…. I was depressed at the time…. I'm sorry…."

He smiled. "That's alright."

"Itachi," I asked, getting to my feet, "was there anyone working with Kabuto?" I didn't much want to break their touching reunion, but we needed to get things rolling.

He blinked. "Not that I know of. Why?"

"We decided it was a possibility there was a greater power behind Kabuto," I explained, then began walking towards the beach. "I'll get the others so we can all catch up with everything." When I'd gotten Sasuke, Anna, and Sierra back to the clearing, I looked around. "Hey, where's Madara?"

"I'm not sure…," Sierra replied, thinking.

"Madara's here?" Itachi asked. "I shouldn't be surprised. I came here thinking you would head to the paradise he mentioned…."

"Well, he _should_be here," Sasuke said, sounding especially grumpy. "I don't know whe—" Sasuke was cut off with his own gasp, and his hand went to his forehead as if he had a horrible headache.

"Are you okay?" Sierra and I asked in unison.

He opened his mouth as if to answer, but no sound came out. He took his hand away from his forehead and set it against the tree beside him, to steady himself. "What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"I… don't know…," he replied, as dozens of emotions and memories bombarded him in waves. Of course, none of us could see that. "I'm overwhelmed," he said flatly, not betraying any of the many emotions he was feeling at once. "Just… a moment…." His teeth gritted and his eyes shut tight.

"I feel something…," Sierra whispered. "Natalie. Your Kawarigan."

I immediately turned it on, while Sierra inspected my reaction. When I sensed what was going on in Sasuke's head, I gasped and fell over. It grew harder to breathe just thinking about it. Too much to think about…. Too much to feel…. Too much…. Memories of the massacre, feelings of sadness, hatred, loneliness, hollow-ness…. It was too much to take for me. Tears sprung to my eyes, even after I deactivated my Kawarigan. "No happiness…," I murmured. "Of all the things he's being hit with… none of it's happy…."

Sasuke's eyes opened with a fierce resolve, and he began walking away. "Sasuke, are you alright?" Itachi asked, concerned.

"_Shut__up!_" was his reply, but he seemed to realize he was too harsh and shook his head. "Not now… not now…. I'm going on a walk…. Think things through…. That's what I need to do, think things through…." Then he made his way out of the clearing.

"He wasn't the source, though…," I murmured. "It originated from somewhere else…."

'"How does _that_ work?" Sam asked, sounding skeptical.

"I have no idea," was my response.

"…Nice."

Sasuke didn't come back that day, although when I woke up, Madara was back from wherever he was. "I'm so glad Itachi's alright," he'd said with a smile. He even made an attempt at playing with Aishuu. Apparently Aishuu really liked pulling hair, since that's what he kept reaching towards. I can't blame him; Maddie did have really poofy hair. Still not as poofy as Deidara's, though. Speaking of which, I wondered how he was doing….

That night, I had another dreamless sleep…. In other words, I slept like a rock. However, I woke up to a blood-curdling scream, then, after a second or so, a yell of "_Anna!_" I sat bolt upright, making me dizzy. I looked over to where the scream originated, to find Sierra leaning over a severely wounded Annalisa. Sierra's hands were shaking, even as she began to heal her. Soon I was beside her, gripping my niece's hand and telling her it would be alright. Then Sam, Itachi, and a whimpering Aishuu were watching in fear, probably feeling as helpless as I was. Then Madara was finally there, a sincere look of worry on his features. Tears of pain trickled down Anna's cheeks as she gritted her teeth against the agony. There was a deep gash over her chest, and her legs seemed to gush out blood with every beat of her heart. "My… my legs…," she said through gritted teeth, gripping my hand tightly. She gasped, and her hands flew to her head. "My eyes! My-my legs… my head… my chest…. It hurts… so… much…."

"Someone hold a cloth against her legs to staunch the bleeding!" Sierra ordered, beginning to cry.

"What happened…?" I whispered.

Anna shook her head. She didn't know, or she couldn't speak.

"It was probably a wild animal," Sam said softly.

"Where'd you get that idea?" I asked, never taking my eyes off of Anna's face.

"Madara told me about some of the animals in the area. That those were the real threat here. And he knows this place better than anyone…."

I looked up at Madara, my face a question of whether my friend was right.

He nodded. "There is no doubt in my mind that this was inflicted by a beast."

I looked back to Anna. "I thought so," I murmured.

When morning finally came, Anna was unconscious due to medicine Sierra gave her to help the pain. "We need to discuss things again," Sierra announced, already plopping herself down. She probably just wanted to get her mind off of the fact that her little sister was hurt. Itachi, Sam (with Aishuu), and Madara joined the circle.

I stood and looked off to the side. "You do that… I'm gonna go and look for Sasuke…." Then I began to wander in the woods. I wasn't a good tracker, so I wasn't even going to _try_with that. Now, back with the others….

"Okay, so we've established Kabuto is probably working with someone, right?" Sierra asked.

"Yep," Sam sighed. "We just don't know _who_. Who knows? Maybe it's someone us Riaru people have never heard of. Someone who isn't even in the storyline."

"Let's hope not," Sierra replied. "Now, we know Kabuto was the one who did the testing though, right? On the other-souls thingy?"

"Yes," Madara confirmed.

Sam blinked, looking at a very pensive Itachi. "What is it?" she asked him.

"I just don't understand how Kabuto would be able to experiment on the double soul theory if he's stuck in the same world. He obviously didn't experiment on the Riaru, or someone would have died beforehand… so… who could he possibly experiment on?"

Sam made a deadpan expression. "And who's the _only_person we know who can travel through worlds?" she asked, and looked at Madara.

"Are you _accusing_me of working with _Kabuto_?" Madara asked, sounding slightly angry.

"Yes," Sam replied.

"Can we not jump to conclusions?" Sierra asked. "Try not to let his past judge what you think of him right now. He's trying to help us, you know."

"But wait!" Sam interjected. "Madara left the village soon after Britt did! Wouldn't that give him the opportunity to inject Britt with the sickness?"

"I suppose, but why would he do that? He's a good guy now!"

"Well, yeah, but he's not all that great a guy, if you don't remember…."

"That's behind him now."

"And where was he when he disappeared for days on end?"

"He already explained that sometimes he needed time alone," Sierra reminded her.

"Well, _Madara_was the one who told me there were wild animals around here. What if it was _him_who hurt Anna?"

"He wouldn't _do_that. Not anymore, anyway."

"Well, all the evidence I'm coming up with points to _him_as the culprit!" Sam shot back.

"Fine, Madara, tell her she's overreacting."

"Yeah, Madara, confess to what you've done _this_time!"

They both looked in the direction Madara had been sitting. "_Where__'__d__he__go?_" they asked in unison.

"Into the woods," Itachi sighed. "He most likely didn't want to hear a fight about him."

They glanced at one another, something clicked between the three of them, and they rushed off.

As for me, I wasn't making much progress. I wasn't really doing anything other than wandering wherever my feet led me. I wouldn't get lost, though. I don't know how, but I always found my way back. I was keeping a generally straight direction anyway. It was very quiet. The only sound was the chorus of the forest. (Heehee, that almost rhymes.) So, it made sense that it scared the crap out of me when Madara appeared out of nowhere and kissed me, pulling back quickly.

I raised an eyebrow. "What the hell was that?"

He didn't respond.

I sighed. "Have you ever made the connection that I'm nineteen and you're… what, one hundred ninety-or-something years old?"

He blinked. "Actually, I never noticed that."

"No offense, but it's almost… pedophile-like."

"Are you calling me a pedophile?" he asked, confused and raising an eyebrow.

"No. It's just weird that you like a girl that's… _way_younger than you. By over a hundred years."

"I don't think age matters when it comes to love." He paused. "Or at least, I thought so. And besides, _you__'__re_the one who made me like this in the first place."

"Hm…. Good point," I replied.

Itachi, Sam (without Aishuu), and Sierra crashed through the trees. "Get away from her!" Sam shouted.

I blinked. "You don't need to yell, Sam," I frowned. "And who, me? He needs to get away from me? Why? Are you suggesting he's a pedophile, 'cause that's what he thought I meant when I said—"

"He's the one who killed Britt, and hurt Anna!" Sierra interrupted.

I looked up at him. "He is? I don't think so…."

Madara gripped my wrist, then used his elbow to shove me into the tree behind me. "Stop accusing me of things I didn't do!" he cried. "And stop trying to get to _her_, of all people! She's the only one left who really trusts me!"

I blinked up at him. At his desperate expression. He couldn't have done that. "Did you?" I asked softly. "Did you do that?"

He closed his eyes and sighed. Then, he leaned towards me and whispered in my ear, "_Goodbye,__Natalie._" Then he straightened up, gripped my wrist tighter, and smirked. "Fine, Samantha. Fine, Sierra; Itachi." He tilted his head upwards slightly. "I did it."

"Did what?" Sam prodded.

Madara's smirk transformed into a grin. "_I_tampered with Mackenzie's staff. _I_injected Brittany with the deadly disease. _I_caught Haruka Tsukuyomi. _I_helped Kabuto with his research, leading him to as many worlds as he needed. _I_found Apple's soul-bound character. _I_tampered with the rock in the Leaf that crushed Sarah. _I_devised the death of them all. Annalisa and Samantha were right after all, huh? _They_never trusted me, did they? How smart of them… holding a grudge such as that…. I guess that's the impression I make. And now you've figured it out. It took you long enough." He began swirling away. "And don't worry, we'll meet again." And then he was gone.

The calm clearing that served as an oasis quickly turned into more of a nightmarish rendition of what it used to be. It seemed darker; in more ways than one. I guess it was because I had trusted the one who had shown it to us. I had felt safe in the very arms of deception, and only now could I see the darkness behind it. The perfect image of this supposed paradise was shattered. We decided to leave as soon as possible. We were ready to leave in a matter of four days.

Anna sat up. "I can't move my legs," she whispered, and all of us looked back at her. "Piggy back ride?" she asked, sounding so small and defenseless. I immediately dropped on all fours to allow her to climb on me, but she shook her head. "Can Sierra do it?"

Sierra nodded. "Sure, Anna."

"I can carry your bag," I offered, and took my nieces backpack, which included her medical kit and general supplies.

When Sierra had hoisted Anna onto her back, Anna looked at me. "Aunt Natalie?" she whispered.

"Yes, Anna?" I asked.

"Where's Sasuke? Will he… be coming back?"

I blinked. "Sasuke will know where we went when he finds the clearing empty," I smiled, and we began our trek back to the Leaf.

* * *

><p>Hmm... Were you surprised? At all? Anyone?<p>

Anyway, review or... you shall be betrayed!


	15. Chapter 14

...I'm sick. :D Yay, how fun! ...Anyway, please enjoy this slightly-longer-than-normal chapter!

* * *

><p>Sasuke sat on a bench in the Stone Village, playing with a dango stick with his hand. "Why the hell did I come out here?" he mumbled to himself. "Sure, I was overwhelmed, but I'm fine now…. I should get back to the others." He shook his head and stood, flicking his wrist to throw the dango stick onto the ground. It stuck upright in a small crack on the rocky ground. He began walking towards the exit to the village, when he saw none other than Madara. <em>There's someone I know,<em> he thought, glad to have found someone and already striding towards him. _But why is he out here? _Sasuke shook off the suspicion. _Maybe he's out looking for 're all wondering where I am, probably_.

"Sasuke?" Madara asked in greeting. "I'm glad to have found you here! We were all wondering where you were, you know."

"Where's everyone else?"

Madara shrugged. "They left to go back to the Leaf."

Sasuke frowned. "Without me?"

"Yeah, but it's not you they hate right now." He sighed. "They've lost all trust in me, and I don't get _why_. I know I've _been _wrong, but I've changed…. What can I do the prove that?"

"Honestly, Madara, I'm not all too sure I trust you completely either," Sasuke replied, raising an eyebrow.

Both of them began walking towards the exit. "How did you do it, Sasuke?" Madara asked, sounding thoughtful.

"What?"

"Forgive your brother…."

Sasuke stopped abruptly.

Madara stopped a step ahead and looked back at him. "I mean, especially now. You finally had what you wanted, right? You were finally happy. Everything seemed to have a happy ending, and then… Itachi came. Am I right?"

"…Can you please shut up?" Sasuke asked, then continued walking.

Madara stood there a moment, then caught up to him. "…Have I hit a sore spot?"

"Now is not the time for your stupid mind games."

"Mind games? I'm not doing anything but telling you how I'd feel in your point of view. I'm not in all that great a position anymore either. Sam, Sierra, and Itachi have turned even Natalie against me, and I have no one beside me anymore."

"Even Natalie's not on your side anymore, huh? And Sierra can't see your point of view? I find that hard to believe. They're the type of people that like to see all sides. …Kind of like Naruto."

"You want everything to be better though… right? Don't you, deep down, wish Itachi was still dead? Or, better yet, that the entire clan was living?"

"Don't forget you're the one who _helped _my brother kill my family."

"True, true…. But the past is the past. And you didn't answer my question."

Sasuke thought a moment. "Sure, I'd like that happiness back, but honestly I don't want my brother dead again. He's some of the only family I have left."

"But isn't it also Itachi's fault that your happiness is gone? You finally had it. All your life, it never seemed you'd ever be truly happy. You finally had all you wanted… and then he ruined it."

Sasuke shook his head. "It's not his fault. Him and Sam are married, you know. And besides, all he did was not die."

"That's _all _he did? What about the massacre? The years of suffering he caused you? Do you not remember that?"

"The past is the past," Sasuke mimicked him, then crossed his arms.

"How about this?" Madara asked softly as they went out the village gates. "How about… I show you what you, whether you admit it or not, really want to see? Really want to happen?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue when Madara swirled him away.

* * *

><p>It was a three-and-a-half days' journey to the Hidden Stone Village. We wanted to get as far away from the clearing as possible, as fast as possible, but the discomfort eased once we escaped the forest. I absolutely <em>refused <em>to stay in that small town that had held that celebration. When we reached the Stone, we stayed there for a few days, getting our rest while we could. Anna still couldn't walk, even by that time, so she had to stay in bed most of the time we spent there. She didn't like that. While in that village, we bought the supplies we were low on, like food and water and bandages and medicine….

"Alright, so let's get this straight," Sam said, holding up her hands. We were all sitting in a circle of chairs in our temporary room. Even Anna was in the circle in her own way, lying on the bed beside me and Sierra. Aishuu was in Sam's lap, sitting up and looking around. "Madara really _was _a bastard after all, and killed our friends. Correct?"

"Yep," I confirmed with a sigh. "I'm sorry…. I really did think he'd changed for the better."

"Don't say you're sorry!" Sam snapped. "It wasn't _you_, it was _him_."

"Well, maybe he _did _change for the better… at first," Sierra put in sadly. "Otherwise he probably wouldn't have committed suicide…. Maybe he was good up until a certain point on that couple-year leave he went on."

I shrugged. "Maybe, but… that's not who he is now."

"No shiz," Sam agreed. "New question. What are we going to do once we get back to the Leaf?"

"Uh, fight?" Anna suggested.

"What about Aishuu?" Sam pointed out, and her son looked up at her and smiled. He already recognized his name.

"And Anna, you were only just about to finish your studies in the academy," Sierra pointed out. "You still need to finish those; you're not even a ninja yet! Besides, even if you were to become a ninja during these times, you… you'd only be a Genin!"

"Isn't Naruto still a Genin?" Anna asked. "And you guys only became Chuunin a year or two ago."

"Point," I allowed. "But Anna, I think what she's trying to say is… is that we don't want you going to war. We don't want you getting hurt."

Anna sat up. "Why _not_?" she demanded, then winced and fell back to her lying position.

Sierra looked sadly at Anna's legs. "How about this?" she suggested, looking back to Anna's face. "If you're in any condition to fight, you can fight. If I say you're ready to, then… you can go."

"Alright," Anna huffed. "It's just not fair. It's not fair that _Madara _had to do this to me. Of course, I didn't know it was him hurting me when it happened, but he still admitted it was him, so it's _his _fault."

"Ha," Sam laughed dryly. "And Madara said it was a beast. Liar."

I blinked, looking to the ground with a pensive expression. "What if he meant it?" I asked. "He pretty much called himself a beast. Does that imply he doesn't like what he's doing?" Everyone stared at me. And I looked up. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Natalie, but I don't think he feels any guilt this time around," Itachi told me with a sad smile.

I frowned. "Yeah, probably, but I can't help but hope. Right, Sierra?"

"Well, I guess, but…."

"But what?" I asked her.

"I don't think it's worth even attempting to save him this time," Sierra replied, gazing at the ground.

"She's right," Itachi agreed. "He's been saved once, and he gave away his chance."

"Too bad, though," I sighed. "I hate when people are like that. I guess it's the fact that Madara wasn't _corrupted _by hatred, but actually _used _it to his own gain."

Sam blinked, wide-eyed, at me. "Yeah. Creepy. I never really noticed that. I just saw he was one of those ultimate bad guys or whatever."

I shrugged. "The only reason I was able to realize that was why he was one of those 'ultimate bad guys' was because I read the manga. It mentioned that."

"Oh. Wow. And here I thought you were all smart and stuff."

"Meh."

"Okay then, now for Aishuu," Sam said. "If both Itachi and I are in war, who will take care of him?"

"Anna can take care of him until she's able to fight," Sierra suggested, and Anna grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Anna likes playing with babies."

"But Anna's only fourteen," Sam pointed out.

Sierra shrugged. "I learned how to care for a baby at twelve, what with my little brother."

"Yeah!" Anna agreed.

"It's unfortunate I met your little brother only once," I sighed.

"I miss him…," Anna said sadly.

"Yeah, well, I miss him too. Not to mention Dad, your mom, my mom, and my brothers," Sierra replied.

"I never did meet your brothers," I commented.

She shrugged. "Too late now."

"Okay, so Aishuu will be cared for by Anna…. How's Anna gonna move around?" Sam asked.

"We'll get her a wheelchair for now, I guess. At least until she can walk again."

Anna frowned at her sister's statement, then furrowed her brow. "Hey, what about Sasuke?"

"Yes, shouldn't he have returned to the clearing and gone out searching for us by now?" Itachi agreed.

Sam shrugged. "Eh, he'll find us."

* * *

><p>Sasuke opened his eyes from a dreamless, empty sleep. <em>Where am I<em>? he wondered, looking around. Taking in his surroundings, he sat upright, utterly confused. He was lying on a yellow bed with light blue sheets. To his left was a wooden bookshelf against a wall with windows, a small television sitting upon one of the cabinets. _Could I be in…? Could everything have been a dream? Was it?_

"Sasuke, breakfast is ready!" someone called from what Sasuke guessed to be the kitchen.

He stumbled out of the bed in a daze, finding it hard to believe he was in his old house. It was so surreal to hear his mother's voice again, calling to him for breakfast. "C-coming!" he called, then snapped to reality and got dressed for the day. He stopped short in the doorframe for the kitchen, however, as before him, at the kitchen table, was his family. His father, his mother, Itachi, and breakfast upon the table, ready to eat.

"Come and eat, Sasuke," his mother smiled. "Before your eggs get cold."

He nodded dumbly and headed for his seat. He began eating his supposed breakfast, thoughts swirling through his head. He wanted so badly to believe this was true. But he had learned not to keep his hopes too high. His father began speaking about clan business and such, but it hardly reached him. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Sasuke asked abruptly, looking up at everyone.

Everyone stopped eating for a second, then his father wiped his mouth with a napkin and asked, "Do want us to be dead?"

"No, no, it's just…. I think I had a very, very, _very _long and realistic… dream…. Unless this _is _the dream…."

"Oh, are you feeling alright?" his mother asked worriedly, putting the back of her hand to Sasuke's forehead.

"I think… I'm just really confused…."

"Well get your head out of the clouds," his father frowned. "This is reality." Then he stood, grabbed his plate, and walked off, done with his meal.

"Was it a nightmare?" Itachi asked.

"…Of sorts…," Sasuke replied, staring at what was left of his egg. _Is this a genjutsu? _he wondered. _Is it all an illusion?_ He cleaned up his meal and headed outside, calling, "I'm going to train!" As he walked, he bit his thumb in thought. _Ican',evenifitwereagenjutsuofsorts._He flipped on his Sharingan, trying to sense any form of genjutsu. He tried holding up a handsign to deactivate any genjutsus that were possibly affecting him. Nothing happened.

When he found the old training ground where Itachi used to train, he simply stood in the middle of the clearing. _Everything seems to be continuing on as normal…. Could it be that all I thought to be reality is fake? Is this truly reality? This is realistic enough…. And besides, if it _were _a genjutsu, then why is this place pleasant? Genjutsus usually put the victim through torture, not paradise. If this can really be considered paradise. Is this paradise? Well, what do I consider paradise?_

"Have you figured it out yet?"

Sasuke snapped to reality, his head whipping up to face the speaker. "Madara," Sasuke said in recognition. "You brought me here. Where, exactly, _are _we?"

He spread his arms wide. "This world is my own creation. _This _is my paradise. My own dimension." He lowered his arms. "It finds exactly what a person in this world wants, and creates it for them."

"That doesn't make any sense! What, is this world _alive_?"

"Did you ever wonder where the tailed beasts went after I crossed over to your side?" He paused, as if waiting for an answer. When he didn't get one, he continued, "I used some of that energy to create this place."

"Isn't that kind of… selfish?"

"I was planning to share it with others, you know, and I always went back to the world of my origins. Also, I only came here when I felt I needed time away from things."

"Okay…. Now why am _I _here?"

"I suppose just to show you… what happiness is like." Sasuke opened his mouth in response, but suddenly they were standing atop the Hokage Monument, looking out over the Leaf. "For example," Madara continued, "you can rule this place. Rule the world, even, if you want. Do as you wish, you won't be pursued or punished. _You _call the shots, whether you choose to be ruler or not. Plus, people always accept you."

Sasuke thought of the way the Leaf villagers had glared at him when he had first come back to the village. There were very few who accepted him. Even now, he was always on good behavior when it came to the village. One slip, and he'd easily become suspicious. A thought came to him. "What about the people here? Am I correct in guessing they're not human? What are they, then? Puppets?"

"The people here are very much real. They have feelings, just like you or I. I guess you can say they aren't human, but more like… like… simulations, for lack of a better word. All of them retain their actual personalities, and each one reacts in their own way to different things. The only difference is that their lives are more… controlled. What you want to happen will happen. It is a true form of paradise. This place is nonexistent, yet everywhere." With a sweep of his arm, they were standing on nothing but air. "It is a lighthouse on the coast of infinity. A land of dreams that you don't awaken from. An island… off the coast of nowhere." That was, in fact, what seemed to be below them. An island that seemed to float over an endless expanse of blue. And, just as fast as Madara appeared, he was gone, and Sasuke was plummeting into the ocean.

For a moment, he just let himself fall, still too confused to thoroughly process what had just happened. He closed his eyes, entranced in the lovely, fresh ocean air. The cool breeze surrounding him. He just let himself fall and fall…. Then, he righted himself, eyes shooting open, ready to land feet-first into the water. He concentrated the chakra at his feet, landing as a ninja should. He ran quickly to the island's shore, then examined his surroundings. The air may have been calming and sweet… enticing. And he nearly fell for it. It was for this very reason that Sasuke began growing frantic. _I have to get out of here!_ His thoughts seemed to echo around him, even though he hadn't said them aloud. He heard his mother's comforting voice, his father's strict one, murmurs that brought the illusion of happiness and joy…. The voices only served to cause him even more anxiety, however, and he kept turning his head, trying to find the source. He threw kunai or shurikan into a brush, when in actuality there was nothing there. _I might just go mad! _He put his hands over his ears in hopes to block out the voices, but they only grew louder. He fell to his knees, curling forward and screwing his eyes shut, still holding his ears, hoping that it would stop. That all of it would stop. He wanted out of that world of dreams. He wanted it to end. He wanted it all to end. He wanted to—

A hand went to his shoulder, and he gasped, eyes shooting open. The voices stopped altogether, and he slowly, hesitantly lifted his hands from his ears. He wasn't all that surprised to find that they were shaking. "Sasuke?" someone tentatively asked. He slowly looked behind him, trying to speak, but only small, strangled sounds coming through. He sighed, relaxing, when he found it was only Sam.

"Sam, thank God it's… it's you…." Having a revelation, he stiffened again and scrambled backwards. "Or are you a fake too?"

She blinked, then angrily replied. "Yes, I'm real, you idiot!"

"But you could be one of those controlled puppets, for all I know! How do I know you're—"

Her fist went directly into his face, and he flew right back into the water. "Trust me, God damn it!" She raised an eyebrow. "'Cause you know _I_ trust _you_…."

He brought his head up out of the water, breathing hard. He decided to trust Samantha. She wasn't supposed to be dead, so it was reasonable that she was here. "Where's Aishuu?" Sasuke asked, standing.

"Who?"

He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Never mind. I'm just having trouble trying to decipher what's fake and what's reality…."

She squinted at him. "Are you okay?"

He looked up at the sky. "I'm not so sure on that one, either."

There was a moment of silence, then Sam put her hands on her hips, leaning backwards. "Well, maybe you'll feel better when you eat. Today we're going to lunch with Mom and Dad."

"Mom… and Dad…?"

"Yeah, don't you remember?" When he didn't reply, she rolled her eyes, grabbed his wrist, and yanked him forward so he'd come along. She led him through the forest until they reached a small house. He allowed her to pull him into the house, but he stopped short when he saw the people sitting at the dining table.

"Sasuke, you're here," his mother smiled.

"Now we can start lunch," his father said, getting up.

Sasuke shook his head, denying what was in front of him. "No," he said. "No. No. No…." "Mom" got up and put a hand on her son's shoulder, concerned. He pulled his shoulder away. "Stop it! You're fake! Both of you are fake! Get away from me!" He backed up to his only form of reality, of trust: Sam.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" she asked. "Why the hell are you freaking out over seeing your parents?"

"_Those _are not my parents!" he replied. "My parents are dead! They've _been _dead for years! Sam, can't you see they aren't human?"

Fugaku looked at his son questioningly, while Mikoto and Sam exchanged looks. "Sasuke, they're just as real as I am…. Are you sure you're alright?" Sam asked. She held his shoulders, leading him gently to a chair and sitting him down.

He didn't relax one bit. "Are you _sure _about that?"

"Yes, Sasuke, now stop acting all weird so we can have lunch."

He relaxed. She was the only one he could trust, so if she said this was normal, then it was. She would never lie to him like that. Not in such a serious tone. "Where's Itachi?" Sasuke asked, looking around, still on edge.

"Why would you think he'd be here?" his father asked, sounding somewhat suspicious.

"Well, he's my brother, right? So… he's part of the family. Right?" He needed confirmation with everything he believed in now.

"Yes…," his father agreed slowly.

"…But your brother died a few years ago," his mother finished sadly.

"What? When? How?"

"Don't you remember?" Sam asked. "He was sick. He couldn't have held on much longer. There's no way… he'd be here now."

"But what about Hi?" Sasuke asked, perplexed.

"Hi? Who's Hi?" was her response.

"Hi! Hi, the guy you found in the hospital after you made it back to your world!"

Sam blinked. "I never _made _it back to my own world."

He blinked, put his hand to his forehead, and smoothed back his hair. "Okay…. So, you never made it back." Sam nodded. "Right…. I'm going to stop asking questions now…."

When they finished their meal, his father began talking to Sasuke about the clan and such. _The clan? _he wondered. _The clan should be dead!_ The words barely got through to Sasuke, however, as he was listening to the conversation between his mother and Sam.

"He's been acting weird since I found him on the beach," Sam told her. "He'll be alright, right?"

"I'm sure he will. He's just confused as all."

Later on, when it seemed to be later afternoon, Sam was leading him out the door, bidding Mikoto and Fugaku farewell. "C'mon, Sauce. We're going home."

He blinked. "Where do I live?"

She looked back at him and rose an eyebrow. "At our house."

"…_Our_ house?"

"Yeah. We don't want Kitai breaking anything, right?"

"Kitai? Who's…?"

"Here we are!"

"Daddy!" Sasuke was glomped by a child with slightly curly black hair and onyx eyes that looked to be around seven years old.

_I'm a father? How old am I? …And who is the mother?_

"Mommy, why does Daddy look freaked out?" The little boy asked, tugging on Samantha's shirt.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the realization of who the mother was. "Mommy doesn't know, Kitai," Sam replied, ruffling his hair.

"Ah, don't touch my hair!" he whined. "It's annoying!"

"God, he sounds like me," Sam smirked.

The boy – his _son_ – named Kitai ran back to the house, turning back and beckoning to them from the doorframe. Sam walked towards him. "Come on, Sasuke, don't just lie there," Sam said, then walked towards the door. Sasuke sat up. "Did you take care of Aki while we were gone?"

Kitai nodded vigorously, ran inside, then came back out, holding a baby girl with already-poofy dark brown hair. Sam took her in her arms, cradling her gently. Kitai folded his hands behind his back, turning to face his supposed father. Sam also turned to look at him expectantly. He got to his feet, and took a hesitant step forward. Then… he just accepted it. All of it. His parents' deaths erased, Itachi's illness, and… this. _Whether this is reality or not, _he thought, and lightly smiled as he continued forward, _I'll believe it while it lasts. _He continued walking. _I'm actually… happy…._ He was fully smiling by then, and Sam even smiled back.

"_There's _my squirrel!" Sam welcomed, finding that Sasuke was apparently acting "normal" again.

_I don't want it to end…._It was then the sight before him began to swirl. _What…? No!_ He began walking faster, running, stumbling, not making progress. The images faded away, and he found himself standing in the woods, no house, no Sam, and no children before him.

"How was it?" Madara asked.

Sasuke whirled to face him, then gripped his collar. "_You took it away!_ _Why _did you take it _away?_ Take me back…! Take me back!"

The collar lost its physical form and seemingly slipped through Sasuke's fingers. "I take it you liked your stay, then." He cocked his head to the side. "Isn't reality so… horrible once you come back?"

Sasuke was breathing hard, rage coursing through his veins. "I want to kill…."

"Kill who?" Madara asked. "Me? I sure hope not. You're no match against _me_."

"I'll kill him…," he growled, then began walking away.

"Who?"

"I'll kill him…," he repeated, then jumped away into the trees.

* * *

><p>"Mmm…," Sam hummed. "This deer tastes <em>good!<em>"

"Poor deer," Sierra sighed.

"Yeah, well, we'd be hungry without it," Sam replied, then took another big bite.

"You do eat meat all the time," Itachi reminded her.

"Yeah, but I watched it die," Sierra replied.

Sam chuckled. "Imagine if this were one of Shikamaru's deer. That'd be bad."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Say, I wonder how Hidan's doing."

Sam choked on her deer, then gasped. "Oh God."

I sighed. "Yeah, let's just hope he didn't kill anyone after… you know…."

"Poor Sarah," Sierra sighed.

"Stop being so sympathetic of random peoples!" Sam cried. "It's depressing!"

"Er, sorry?"

Aishuu began to cry. "Oh, now look what you did," Sam grumbled. "You made Aishuu cry."

"No I didn't!" Sierra defended.

"Oh, don't worry, she's just blaming you because Sasuke isn't here to blame it on," I said.

"Jeez, Sam, you shouldn't blame Sasuke all the time," Anna huffed.

Sam shrugged, and Itachi stood. "I'm going to get us some water," he said. He took a calm step forward, but stopped when there was a sword at his throat. Sam immediately stood up in surprise.

"You're going nowhere but hell," the shadowy figure growled.

Itachi smiled. "Hello, again, Sasuke. I was wondering when you'd come back."

The sword got slightly closer, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

I sighed and got to my feet. "Oh, _come on_…," I moaned, putting my hand to my forehead. Sasuke's eyes looked to me. "Let me guess: Madara got to you. And now I have to go through the whole 'save your soul' thing again." I sighed again. "It was hard enough when I knew _how _to save you. But now I don't even know why you're corrupted this time." I shook my head.

"Sasuke, what the hell are you _doing_?" Sam asked angrily. "He's your _brother_, for Pete's sake! Why the hell are you trying to kill him?"

"He took it all away!" he snapped, and a drop of blood trickled down Itachi's neck.

Itachi sighed, smiling sadly and closing his eyes as he brought his hand up to his neck, gripped the sword, and flicked his wrist to get it out of Sasuke's hands. He flipped the sword so that he was gripping the hilt instead of the blade, then swiftly grabbed his brother's hand and flipped him over his shoulder. Then, he gently put a foot on Sasuke's chest, and held the tip of the sword at his forehead. "Sasuke… don't do this, please. I was going to let you kill me, last time…. But this time, I can't. I have a child now, a wife, a home to return to. I can't die quite yet. So, if it comes down to it… I really don't want to have to kill you."

"Sasuke, you idiot, after all you've been through…. How could you do this to him? After all the things he's done for you? What the hell, man?" Sam yelled. "Why would you hurt him? And… if you don't care about him anymore… why would you hurt _me_? Hurting Itachi… hurts me…. Can you honestly not get that? Don't you remember how I was when Itachi had supposedly died? Only _you _were able to comfort me. Whatever happened to _that _Sasuke?"

"That Sasuke… didn't know what happiness was like," was Sasuke's reply.

"Happiness? You didn't know _happiness_? What about the time when I introduced dark chocolate to you, and you actually liked it, unlike with normal chocolate? Were you not happy then? Or how about when we went on walks together, you and me? What about then? Or when you wandered the village with Anna? What about _then_? Or how about when you were training with your brother, or whenever you're with your friends, or when a mission's a success, or when you felt the happiness of just holding your nephew in your arms? …How about then? Were you really never happy? Through all of that?"

Sasuke didn't respond, looking almost as though all that energy from before had drained quickly. Anna was beginning to cry. Aishuu had, by then, stopped crying, but was looking expectantly at his uncle as though he knew he was supposed to say something. Itachi continued gazing down at his brother. I stood there, raising my eyebrows as I waited for Sasuke to say something. Sierra just sat with her head bowed, looking somewhat despondent. "Samantha…," Sasuke said in a low voice. "You… have always hated me…."

Sam blinked, then frowned. "_No_, I—"

"_Why don't you just admit it already?_"

She paused, taken aback. "Sasuke, you idiot, we've been over this before! Remember, when you were all loopy from your fever? I. Do. Not. Hate. You. In fact, I can even go so far as to say I _like _you. A lot. I think of you as a brother, don't you get that? I do _not _hate you!"

Sasuke took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He looked angry. Judging by the way he wasn't glaring at anyone, I actually guessed he was mad at himself. _Natalie, can you hear me?_

I blinked. He was trying to contact me through thought? Well, okay then…. _Yeah, I can, _I sent to his head.

_Okay,.Iwouldn'twanttospeakaloud;who_knows _whetherornotMadara',you',andIcan'._

_Okay…. Go on._

_Don't freak out on me when I say this: I'm joining Madara. _I was about to protest when he continued, _I have my own specific reasons. Don't you dare interfere, though, okay?_

_Why shouldn't I?_

_Because I know _why _you'd interfere. This time, Natalie, I don't need saving. And can I have some sort of connection to you through thought? I have a feeling I'll need to contact you at some point._

_Er, sure, _I replied, fumbling with my thoughts to create that connection.

Sasuke poofed away, leaving a log, then jumped in front of Sam and kissed her, at which, of course, she shoved him off. "_What the hell, Sasuke?_"

"You never gave me a kiss goodbye," he said, then disappeared in a blur.

Sam frowned. "Well… shit."

* * *

><p>Sasuke ran to the Leaf as fast as he could. He needed to find a few people. When he reached them, they were surprised to see him. "Sasuke, you're <em>back<em>!" Karin cried.

"Thank goodness," Juugo sighed in relief. "I was worried I would go out of control in your absence…."

"Eh, I'm not so thrilled to see you," Suigetsu shrugged.

Not responding to any one of them, he said, "You three are coming with me."

"Oh! Where to now, Sasuke?" Karin asked, ready and willing to go wherever he wished her to.

"Yeah, what's your goal _this _time?" Suigetsu asked.

Sasuke smirked. "I'm going to kill him," was his explanation. It was not Itachi's face that filled his mind, however, but instead an image of a man by the name of Madara Uchiha. "I'm going to kill him."

* * *

><p>Ah, there you are. Hooray for action instead of just sitting around a peaceful clearing! Now, review or you will go insane! ...Tha bad, paranoid kind of insane!<p> 


	16. Chapter 15

Okay, so... **Warning**: this chapter contains lots of swearing. ...Yes, Hidan is involved.

* * *

><p>The first thing I did when I reached the village was find Deidara and give him a big hug. Sierra couldn't seem to find Suigetsu anywhere, however. Then we went to the Hokage to report on our trip, and she gave us some news in return. Konan was murdered, apparently, and now there was a new leader of the Rain Village. The nations had allied to fight against Kabuto, and, now, Madara and Sasuke. Tsunade actually didn't look all that surprised when I told her about Madara. All she did was mutter something like "I <em>knew <em>we shouldn't have trusted him…." Then, I called some people to gather so I could give a little speech…. Oh, joy.

I gulped. This didn't seem like such a good idea after all. _I__'__m __good __with __words,_I told myself. _I__'__ll __be __fine. _And then, I stepped up onto the platform, faced everyone, and began to speak. "Everyone," I addressed, "Madara Uchiha is now, yet again, a criminal." Hushed murmurs rippled through the crowd. Who was in the crowd? Well, by everyone, I meant Deidara, Kara, Miki, Ino, Chouji, Shino, Kiba, Akamaru, Hinata, Sakura, Lee, Neji, and Tenten. Yeah… people. On the stage with me was Sam, Sierra, Anna, and Itachi. Aishuu was in Itachi's arms. "And, also, Sasuke Uchiha has joined Madara." There was a chorus of angered yells.

Sam gripped my shoulder and whirled me around. Gripping both of my shoulders now, she exclaimed, "_What?_ How do _you _know?"

"He told me in his own way." I turned back around to face the crowd again, and continued, "However, I don't want any of you to go after Sasuke, and I don't want any of you intentionally killing him."

Yells of protest rang throughout the area. "Why the hell not, hm?" Deidara called.

"He should just die, already!" Kiba agreed.

"_What_?" Tenten protested. "This is his _second __time _doing this!"

"Let her finish, Tenten," Neji said, arms crossed and looking at me intently.

"Huh…?"

I cleared my throat when the noise had died down slightly. "Yes, well, I know that, but I'm getting the feeling there's something we're not seeing here. Yes, he's joined him, but what if he's learning about the enemy from inside enemy lines? That's what Itachi did for quite some time. All I'm asking is that you don't kill him. If you agree to follow this one rule, please say so."

After I finished that sentence, it was utterly silent. "I agree," Sakura said eventually, looking up at me with determined eyes.

"Yeah," Ino agreed, "you guys have got to stop being so harsh on the guy."

"I will try my best!" Lee cried, full of passion…. Of course…. "I will agree to this rule!"

"I'll do it," Neji nodded.

"What?" Tenten asked.

"This girl, Natalie…. I trust her."

She blinked. "Okay…. Well, I'm in!"

"So am I!" Chouji came in.

"Sure, why not?" Deidara grumbled.

"Hell yeah I'm not gonna kill him!" Kara huffed. "I call dibs on Madara though," she added, mumbling.

"Of course I'll agree," Miki said softly.

"I…. Of course I'll do it," said Hinata.

Shino adjust his glasses. "Sure."

Kiba looked around him. He was the only one who hadn't agreed. "Eh, well, I guess I'll side with everyone else. Sasuke's _supposed _to be a friend. Right, Akamaru?" Akamaru barked in agreement.

I looked behind me. "How about you guys?"

"I won't," Sierra answered. "I could never do it anyway."

"I'd never kill him," Anna agreed.

Sam was gazing at the ground when she said, "I agree." She looked at me and smirked. "But I'm going to give him a big hit to the head once this is over."

I turned to Itachi. His expression was very serious. "I won't kill him; only if it is completely necessary."

I nodded. "Yeah…. Let's hope it doesn't get that far."

* * *

><p>Sasuke sat in a stone chair, gazing up at nothing in particular, just… thinking. Him and his little group were within the Mountains' Graveyard. It turned out that the hideout above ground was a fake, while the real hideout was below ground. The trap door that led to this area was now covered with charred rubble from that suicidal explosion. "Now that we're here, and everything's settled, would you like to go back?" Madara asked, tone thoughtful.<p>

Sasuke's head whipped down to look at him. "_No!_" He shook his head. "No. I apologize, but honestly I don't want to go back there… until my job is done."

Madara nodded in understanding, still looking thoughtful.

No, Sasuke couldn't go back to that paradise. Never again. He was afraid that if he went back, the fake joy of the place and the letdown of reality would push him off his current path. He didn't want that. He didn't want to be enticed by that place again. So no, he was never going back.

"You know, Sasuke…."

Sasuke looked up.

"I think you should get… stronger…."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Sasuke's already strong, you know," Karin huffed.

"I agree," Juugo said.

"I didn't mean to offend," Madara explained, "but… don't you want the Mangekyo? All you need to do is kill your best friend. And besides, it'll help prove to me I can trust you…."

"Of course I will," Sasuke scoffed. _After __I__'__ve __killed __Madara, __my __friends __will __want __to __kill __me __anyway. __If __I __have __the __Mangekyo, __then __I__'__ll __get __sick __fairly __quick. __If __my __friends __don__'__t __kill __me, __I__'__ll __die __anyway. __I__'__m __okay __with __that. __I __doubt __they__'__ll __forgive __me, __and __besides, __I__'__d __actually __rather __die __than __betray __my __friends. __That__'__s __what __I__'__m __doing __at __this __very __moment, __so __this __Mangekyo __thing __sounds __pretty __good._

…_But I don't want to kill my best friend._

"So then, who's your best friend?" Madara asked. "Who will you kill?"

He looked up to the ceiling, thinking hard. _Sam? __No, __I __couldn__'__t __kill __her. __Never. __Itachi? __No__… __I __can__'__t __kill __him__…__. __Naruto? __No, __I __couldn__'__t __possibly __kill __him. __One, __he__'__s __the __main __character __of __this __show. __Two, __I __don__'__t __even __know __where __he __is. __He__'__s __on __a __top-secret __mission __of __some __sort. __Three, __it __would __just __be __too __hard __for __me. __But __who? _He thought of all the people he could think of. Who could he consider his best friend? _Sakura, _he decided. _I __have __to __kill __Sakura. __She __was __one __of __the __only __ones __in __the __village __that __accepted __me, __even __when __I __first __came __back. __She __still __loves __me, __but __not __in __a __fangirl-like __way __like __Ino. __I __don__'__t __much __want __to __kill __her, __but__…__. _"Sakura Haruno," he said.

"The pink-haired girl?" Madara asked.

Sasuke nodded. "Whoa, whoa, are you just gonna kill your friend? Just like that? I thought we'd agreed on no killing people!" Suigetsu frowned.

"I'm killing her," Sasuke said without hesitation. Even Hebi had to believe that he was ready and willing to kill even his closest friends. He only gave _me_a clue as to what was really going on in his head. Thanks, Sasuke. I feel so special! Madara put on his new swirly, orange mask with a smile, and swirled himself and Sasuke away.

As for me, soon after this happened, a message was sent to me through thought. _I__'__m __going __to __try __and __kill __Sakura._

"_What?_" I asked aloud in alarm, causing those around me to stare. I had just gotten some groceries, and was now standing in the middle of the street. With people staring at me. Yay.

_Natalie, if you hear this, please try to stop me in any way you can. I'm supposed to try and get the Mangekyo, but I don't want to kill her. Thanks._

I blinked. Oh, boy. I needed to think of a plan.

* * *

><p>That night, Sakura heaved a sigh, sitting on that bench she sat on years ago, when Naruto pretended to be Sasuke. It was also the bench that Sasuke had said goodbye to Sakura at when he left the village for Orochimaru. It was all too sudden when Sasuke burst from the shadows and attacked.<p>

She flipped out a kunai, eyes narrowed. _I __can__'__t __kill __him__…__. __No, __I __wouldn__'__t __kill __him, _she thought. _There__'__s __always __the __possibility __Natalie __is __right. __But__… __I __can __still __fight!_

Sasuke's sword eventually knocked the kunai out of Sakura's hand. She resorted to her fists, throwing punches that would make Sasuke a goner if he were hit. Not dead, but… hurt enough that he'd stop fighting. I think. _Where__'__s __Natalie? _Sasuke wondered. _Didn__'__t __she __get __the __message?_

For awhile, it seemed as though Sakura had the upper hand. This was because Sasuke was stalling for time, in hopes I'd show up. When he realized I wasn't going to make an appearance, he began trying as hard as he could. Maybe "as hard as he could" was too much, because she was overpowered quickly. He knocked her to the ground, then stabbed her in the chest, easily sliding his sword back out and sheathing it. He stared at her for a bit. _What __did __I __just __do? _he thought, horrified. _I__… __I __just _killed _her__…__. _He felt a sudden stinging in his eyes, so his hands went instinctively to them. He knew what had happened, though.

He had the Mangekyo Sharingan.

* * *

><p>"Is he gone?" I whispered.<p>

"Yeah," Ashlie replied.

I stood up and stretched. "Okay, here we go. Zetsu, clean up your clone so we can relax on a job well done."

The supposedly dead Sakura before us grew pale and white, then morphed back into the Zetsu clone that it actually was. You see, I had contacted Zetsu through a mini-portal-thing, telling him to come to this world with Ashlie and a clone. The clone could copy someone's chakra and looks exactly if he sucked some of the person's chakra beforehand. So, we had it attach to Sakura before Sasuke got here so the clone could be her. The only problem was acting. For this, I simply used Kawarigan to give that clone the power to act exactly like a certain person. It took a bit of energy, but I was fine.

"So… now Sasuke has Mangekyo, but he didn't actually kill anyone?" Zetsu asked, picking up the body. I wouldn't be too surprised if he ate it later on….

"I think that's the case," I agreed. "So, Ashlie, how's the war going where you are?"

Ashlie sighed. "It sucks. Kisame was killed by none other than Gai, because he thought he was a zombie."

"Well… that's an unfortunate death."

"Yeah. It is."

I sighed. "Too many people are dying, nowadays."

"Yeah. **I ****agree**," Zetsu responded, and we headed back to Sam's house to relax.

* * *

><p>My eyes shot open early the next morning, and I threw off the covers. "Oh God, I forgot about Hidan! I hope he hasn't killed anyone. Has he killed anyone?" I babbled as I got ready. I immediately ran to his house as fast as I could. "Shiz…. Shiz…. If I find dead bodies there, then what the hell am I supposed to do?" I opened the door, fearing what I'd find inside. The floor was surprisingly dusty, except for a trail of non-dust that only went from the kitchen and curved to the right, and stopped where a closed door was. I also noticed a smear of blood on the wall near the trail, and an occasional drop of blood on the floor.<p>

"Oh…," I moaned. "He's gone and killed someone, hasn't he?" I headed to the closed bedroom door, and heard something from behind it.

"Oh, you think you're so great, huh? Take this!" There was a sickening splurting noise. "And that!" Another. "Screw it all, life just _sucks_, doesn't it?"

I hesitantly opened the door… and found a bloodied Hidan, a spear sticking through his side. _Well__… __at __least __it __isn__'__t __someone __else__…__._

"Natalie, you fucking bitch!" he yelled, staggering to his feet. "Where the hell have _you _been, huh?"

"I offered you and Sarah to come along with us…," I said softly. Something told me I didn't want to get Hidan mad right now.

He let out a pained whine. "Fuck that…. Don't you ever fucking mention that damn name!"

"Er… sorry?"

"You _better_ damn well be sorry!"

"You know, Hidan, you can't… er… be all emo and stuff now. You do have to move forward…. I'm not saying to forget about Sa—er, her. Just move on…. She'd be happy about that…."

"She's happy, you say. You say she's happy. Ha! She was crushed by a fucking _boulder_! I don't even fucking know what I believe in anymore, and it's tearing me a-fucking-part!"

"I believe she's in heaven right now, watching everything going on down here. I know you care about her, but—"

"She left me, damn it! Why the hell would I damn care?"

"…'Cause you're freaking out about her death?" I guessed. He ripped the spear out of his side, then loomed over me. However, I noticed his eyes were sparkling with none other than fresh tears. _Holy __crap, __Hidan, __are __you __going __to __cry? _I wondered.

"She was all I fucking had! It was only her who was able to keep me in line, and now I've got nothing left!" He was obviously getting worked up. The pool of blood on the floor was getting larger by the second. "What do I have to believe in anymore? What is there for me to live for, now? I had something to work towards, but now… it seems meaningless." He hunched forward in defeat so I couldn't see his face, fists clenched. "Now what?" he whispered. "Now… what?" Then he fell forward in a dead faint from all that blood loss. I stared at his still body a moment, stunned. Then I finally reacted, slung him over my shoulder, and ran him to the hospital.

* * *

><p>"We need a blood transfusion!" a doctor called. Hidan was awake now, but his eyes were quite glassy and looked fatigued. "What's his blood type?" someone else shouted. "We need type B!" a doctor commanded. "Here's some!" someone responded, handing the doctor a packet of supposedly type B blood. I was sitting right beside Hidan's hospital bed, and he was just sorta gazing at me with those blank eyes of his. It was kinda creepy. His side was already wrapped up, as was all the other open wounds on his body. They began… transfusing the type B blood into his system.<p>

"You know," I whispered to him, "her death wasn't an accident. Madara did something to the mountain."

"Miss, we need to ask you to leave," one of the doctors told me, putting a hand on my shoulder. I nodded, and stood.

The other doctors scrambled to find another pack of type B blood, as apparently they were out of it. "_O!_" someone yelled. "Do we have any type O?" I began to make my way out, when a hand grabbed my wrist. I turned around, to see that _Hidan _was gripping it.

All of the action going on around us seemed to go slowly, in a blur. "Make sure… that Madara bastard dies… got it?" he asked, sounding weak but determined. I nodded. And then, the little bit of light left in his eyes disappeared, and his hand lost its grip on my wrist. I bit my lip, hit by a sudden wave of grief. I saw nothing but Hidan right then. I heard nothing but the long, endless beep that signaled his heart had failed.

Hidan the immortal was dead.

The sounds came back to me a few seconds after that. I heard shouting. Then sight. I could see the doctors moving about. And then, there was a hand at my shoulder. "I'm so sorry, miss. I'm sorry…. Would it… be alright if you left now?"

I nodded, as if in a daze. _Everyone __is __dying __off __before __my __very __eyes, _I thought to myself as I walked slowly out of the hospital. I made my way back to my house. I opened the door. "I'm back," I called half-heartedly, then plopped myself down on a kitchen chair. On the table was a note.

_Natalie, Zetsu and I have gone back to the Japanese version of this world. Sorry, but we're kinda rushed. We don't really have much reference as to how much time has passed in that world. Just contact Zetsu if you need us. Bye!_

_~Ash_

_PS – Deidara was called out to go on a mission. He'll be back soon._

I blinked at the piece of paper, then set it down. "How many is it now…?" I asked myself. "Orochimaru," I began, counting off on my fingers, "Mackenzie, Britt, Haruka, Apple, Sarah, Konan, and then Hidan. That's eight." I hung my head, feeling depressed. "Eight is much more than three. So much for 'big deaths come in threes,'" I mumbled, then got to my feet. I began to wander the village. When I found I was hungry, I bought lunch to go at the first food place I saw, and ate as I walked. I found the crater Kabuto had made awhile back, and decided to sit on a bench looking out over it, watching the people work on rebuilding the area. They were pretty far into it, actually.

I didn't quite know _why _Hidan's death had hit me harder than the others. Maybe it was because for the longest time, I had believed he just couldn't die. Maybe it was because of the fact he had died simply because there was no one to save him from himself. He had been killed by his own grief. Maybe that was what depressed me most of all. Maybe…. I heaved a sigh, nibbling on my stick of dango.

"Hm, that was a heavy sigh," a man beside me said. He was reading a newspaper; I couldn't see his face.

"Yeah, well, life sucks sometimes," I explained, taking another small bite of my dango.

"Does it have to do with the war going on? I heard that started up again."

"Something to do with that," I muttered, resting my chin on my palm and taking another bite.

"Who's the bad guy this time; Kabuto?"

"Nah, Kabuto's just working for a guy named Madara Uchiha."

"Madara Uchiha? I thought he'd come to the Leaf's side."

"Yeah, well, people can change their mind, apparently," I replied, rolling my eyes. "That ass."

The man adjusted his newspaper. "Hm…. What do you think of this man… Madara?"

"I think he's just too twisted to be saved anymore. That, and he's a big bastard for killing off my friends." I straightened up. "Honestly. He was _pretending_ all this time that he was a good guy, when really he was getting close to us so he could plot out deaths! How sick is that? And now he's got _Sasuke _on his side. Madara Uchiha is just a sick, heartless bastard that cares for no one but himself."

"_I __am __not!_" the man objected, lowering the newspaper. He was, in fact, Madara. Once I processed this, I proceeded to stand and punch him in the face. He flew backwards. He then sat up, scratching the back of his head with a weak smile. "I kinda deserved that, huh?"

"No shit!" I replied. "You freakin' _killed __off _most of my friends! You're a traitor, you ass!"

"This is the second time you've called me that," he sighed.

"Well, you certainly _deserve _the title!" I retorted. "And why the hell are you here, anyway? Shouldn't you be making some poor teenager have a mental breakdown?"

"I wanted to see you," he replied simply, suddenly very serious.

I looked at him with half-lidded eyes, skeptical at his excuse. "You… wanted to see me. That's your excuse. I think you're running out of ideas, old man. It's _obvious _you don't care about me. Look at what you did to my friends! In case you didn't know, hurting my friends hurts me!"

"I didn't mean to."

"Oh, yeah, sure," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "You didn't mean to inject Britt with a sickness? You didn't _mean _to capture Haru? You didn't _mean _to help Kabuto find Apple's soul-bound character? You didn't _mean _to set up the mountain to kill Sarah? You didn't _mean _to attack Annalisa? _How __the __hell __do __you __expect __me __to __believe __that?_"

"No," he replied. "I meant I didn't mean to hurt _you_."

"Oh, okay, so you're okay with killing off all my friends, just not me, am I right?"

"Exactly."

I let out a cry of frustration. "That's worse than killing me! You fucking asshole! Killing off my friends makes me depressed and sad and may very well make me want to kill you. Do you _want _me depressed and sad and wanting to kill you?"

"No. I don't want you sad…. But wanting to kill me I'd welcome gladly. I obviously don't deserve you, as everything you say is absolutely true. I can't help but be who I am. I'm only able to be… likeable… around _you_. You see?"

"Barely," I replied, irritated. "Now stop corrupting poor Sasuke and—"

"Natalie, hm? What're you doing over here?"

Madara's eyes visibly narrowed. They actually looked somewhat sad. "Goodbye, Natalie," he said, took out a swirly orange mask, then put it on.

"What?" Deidara asked in surprise when he saw a very confused and angry me and a masked Madara. "What the hell are _you _doing here, yeah?"

"Oh, don't worry, Deidara, I was just leaving," Madara said with a dark chuckle, then disappeared.

I threw my arms into the air in frustration. "_What __the __hell __just __happened?_" I cried, then fell over.

* * *

><p>So... um... Hidan's dead. ...Oops? Sorry about that, dear readers of mine... aha... And what the heck is up with Madara? Review... or you shall die of blood loss!<p> 


	17. Chapter 16

"I have an idea," Sierra remarked. Anna and I looked at her. Anna was in a wheelchair, much to her annoyance. Her legs just wouldn't work. "Anna, we can take you to Lady Tsunade to see if she can help you."

She blinked. "Yeah! And then I can help you guys out with the war!" We began walking towards the Hokage's office, Sierra pushing Anna along.

"Yeah… maybe…."

Anna frowned. "You _promised_, Sierra. You can't take that back."

"Right, right…. I know…."

I sighed. "You know, I honestly hope your legs are fixed, Anna…."

"Me too," Anna replied, crossing her arms. "I want to be able to run again…."

"…But I really am worried about you getting caught up in this war," I finished, putting my hand on her shoulder.

"I don't care! I'm helping in any way I can. I can't… I can't just _sit _here! But…." He eyes went to the ground. "…That's all I really _can_do right now…. Sit. And lie down. I can't get up, I'm not a help at all right now…."

"Of course you are, Anna," Sierra reassured her. "You are what we'll look forward to when we get home."

"You are a representation of hope," I added.

She scowled. "But that's _boring_."

I blinked, then, despite all that had happened, I laughed. Typical Annalisa. Of course…. We soon reached the Hokage's office, to find Shizune cleaning up some papers. "Shizune?" I asked, and she turned to look at us.

"Yes?" she asked with a warm smile.

"Do you know where Lady Tsunade is?"

"Oh," she said, "she just left for the Allied Forces headquarters…."

"Darn…. Are you good in medical ninjutsu? We're looking to see if we can fix Anna's legs."

"I couldn't… but maybe you could ask Sakura," she suggested. "Maybe she could figure something out."

I smiled. "Alright; thank you." Then we continued our search for a cure. When we found Sakura, she was eating a bowl of ramen at a restaurant. "Sakura! Hi!" I called, waving.

She turned in her seat and looked at me. "Oh, hi guys."

"Sorry to ask, but…" – I clasped my hands together in a pleading gesture – "…could you try to figure something out for Anna's legs?"

Sakura paid the bill and stood, examining said legs. "Are they still sore?" Sakura asked.

"Not really," Anna replied.

Sakura pursed her lips, while Sierra bit her lower lip. "I waited too long, didn't I?" Sierra asked, pure worry in her tone. "They've healed incorrectly, and now there's nothing we can do to fix it. Isn't that right?"

Sakura gave a sad frown. "I think that may be the case, here."

"If only I'd known what to _do!_" Sierra cried.

"So… I won't be able to walk again?" Anna asked, sounding so small and innocent.

Sakura straightened up and smiled sweetly. "You might be able to. Maybe we can figure out some form of surgery, or you could do some physical therapy. It just can't be dealt with right now… the war is starting, after all. And… I'm a medic-nin. So are you, Sierra. We'll be preparing for war in no time."

"That's just it!" Anna exclaimed. "I want to be able to be better before the war so I can fight too!"

"I don't think I can do that…. I'm sorry, Anna. Think of it this way: you can stay here and have fun with the others who stay here."

"That's _boring_!" Anna protested.

"Yeah, well, war'll be painful as heck," Sam joined in. She succeeded in scaring the crud out of me, due to the fact she came from behind me. Aishuu and Itachi were with her.

"And depressing," Sierra came in with a sigh.

Itachi's eyes were to the ground; he was simply shaking his head.

"And it'll be a mental strain as well as a physical strain," Sakura added.

"Yeah, yeah, Pinkie, we know," Sam replied, rolling her eyes. "But all the gore won't bother me; I watch horror movies."

"…That's not what I meant, Sam," Sakura replied, looking slightly annoyed. Her eyes grew sad and turned downward, though. "How did that plan go? Did it work?"

"It worked fine," I assured her. "Sasuke has earned Mangekyo without killing anyone."

"Is that really a good thing, though? I mean, Sasuke left the village twice now," Sierra pointed out. "Not that I doubt him; I still consider him a friend, actually."

"Wait, Sasuke has Mangekyo?" Sam asked. "Couldn't that kill him?"

Itachi raised his head. "If he overuses it, yes. And in this war… it's likely he could use it too much."

"Sasuke's gonna _die?_" Anna asked in horror.

"No, no," Sakura reassured. "Of course not. And Natalie… thanks for saving my life."

"No problem," I smiled.

"Oh, Anna, you're still watching Aishuu, right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah…," Anna sighed, sounding disappointed.

"If only we could talk to Sasuke," I muttered. "Then maybe he could tell us what he's doing."

"Can't we use Kawarigan to do that?" Sierra suggested. There was a moment of silence, and suddenly Sierra was pushing Anna towards the forest and I was following behind, dragging Sam and Itachi behind me.

"Uh… bye," Sakura mumbled, confused.

* * *

><p>"Are you absolutely positive you're okay with this?" Sam asked Itachi.<p>

He was tied up very tightly to a tree, and his hands were tied in front of him. "I'll be fine," he told her yet again, and nodded to me. I was going to use Kawarigan to… switch them, so to speak. I'd say switch Sasuke and Itachi's _minds_, but honestly it wasn't their brains I was switching. I was switching their _souls_. Creepy, right? It made me wonder whether I could talk to the dead….

"Okay," I said, Kawarigan activated. "Get ready, Itachi. I don't know what this'll feel like to you, so… just be prepared for anything."

"I understand," he responded.

"Okay…. Here goes…." I closed my eyes and found Sasuke fairly quickly. After all, he still had somewhat of an open connection to me through thought. I made the switch, and immediately returned, considerably drained. _Please __don__'__t __let __it __be __painful__…__. __Please __don__'__t __let __it __be __painful__…__._

No such luck, it seemed.

Itachi's pupils were utterly gone, only the whites of his eyes showed, and his mouth was open as if he wanted to scream. Only strangled sounds were heard, however. Then, he jerked, and began to scream an agonized scream that, honestly, I never thought I'd hear from Itachi. I couldn't help but stare. Sierra, Sam, and Anna were the same, just sorta watching in utter horror. Sam's hands were on Aishuu's ears, and poor Aishuu began to cry.

The screams stopped, and Itachi leaned forward, breathing hard. He looked up at us with horrified eyes. "_Where __am __I?_" he cried, looking around wildly. "You took me back, didn't you? I told you I didn't want it; take me back!"

"Er, Sasuke?" I asked.

Itachi's head turned to look at me, and his eyes focused. "Where am I?" he repeated.

"You're in a magical paradise of wonders," Sierra replied, regaining composure. For some odd reason, Itachi's eyes widened in horror. "Hey, hey, I was kidding…. Don't freak out…."

"Sasuke, is that you?" Anna asked softly.

Itachi's head turned to look at her. He nodded, then looked at Sam and Aishuu, seemingly relaxing. "Why the hell am I here?" he growled, regaining his old demeanor.

"Ita—Sasuke, what were you talking about when you asked if we took you back?" I asked, nearly calling him Itachi, since technically he was….

His eyes narrowed. "That is none of your business." He paused. "How did I get here?" He looked around. "And where's… _Itachi_?" He spat his brother's name in disgust.

"Oh, stop it. Don't tell me you're on another revenge kick, 'cause if you are, I _will _slap you silly," Sam warned.

His eyes narrowed. "Do you really think that would have _any _effect on me?"

"Fine then. I'll kick your ass," Sam shrugged. "It's as simple as that. I'll knock some sense into you, if I need to."

"We need to fix you up!" Sierra proclaimed. "Maddie probably—"

"Madara," I interrupted. "It's not Maddie. Maddie was a friend. He's Madara."

"…Okay. _Madara_ probably manipulated you into doing this, and all we have to do is fix that."

"You can't fix me," Sasuke scowled. "I am not broken."

"Not broken?" I scoffed. "You've been broken since age _seven_, Sasuke."

"I was not," he argued. "I managed to keep myself together through it all."

"Dude. You went crazy on revenge."

"…True, but that hardly means I'm _broken_."

"Oh really? Well—"

"Sasuke?" Anna asked softly. "Why did you do this? Can you at least say _why_so we can try and understand? If we can understand why… then maybe we'll be able to understand all of your actions. Understand _you_. After all… we're your friends, right?"

"Maybe you were," Sasuke agreed. "Before. Not now."

Anna's gaze shifted downward.

"Okay, Sasuke, tell me this," I said. "Why are you working with _Madara_ of _all __people_, when he's the one who caused most of your misery? Plus, if we used to be your friends, think about the fact that Madara did this to Anna. Don't you care?"

"…He did? I was not aware of that. That does not change my beliefs, however."

I blinked, and looked into Itachi's eyes, trying to see Sasuke through them. "What are your beliefs?"

He lowered his head. "My beliefs—" He was cut off, doubled over in pain as his soul was ripped back into the air. His eyes pupil-less, mouth open in an empty scream, we waited. He jerked when Itachi's soul returned, and he sighed. No screaming this time.

"How interesting…," Itachi commented, looking up at all of us. "It feels good to be in my own body again."

"…I'm never switching souls again," I whispered as Sam prodded him repeatedly, making sure he was alright and asking whether or not it hurt. Sierra and Anna nodded in agreement at my decision.

* * *

><p>"Alright," Sierra said, holding Anna under her arms as my little niece attempted to stand.<p>

"Try getting my feet flat on the floor," Anna suggested. "Maybe that'll work."

I made sure her feet were flat, and Sierra slowly set her down, but once Sierra allowed Anna's legs to stand, her hands still near in case she fell, her knees buckled and Sierra was holding her under the arms once more.

"Why won't they _work_?" Anna cried. "It's not _fair!_"

"I'm sorry Anna… we've been trying this for a while now. Don't you think it's time for bed?" Sierra asked.

Anna rubbed an eye. "Yeah… I guess so…."

Sierra and I helped her into bed, and Sierra pulled me into the other room by the arm once Anna's eyes had closed. We spoke in hushed murmurs. "Do you remember what happened that night?" Sierra asked quietly. "The night she was attacked?"

"Yes… of course I do. Anna's scream woke me up, and—"

"After that," she interrupted. "What was she saying as I treated her?"

"She was… she was talking about how much her legs hurt."

"And…?" Sierra prodded.

"Her legs and… her eyes, and her head." My hands flew up to my own head in surprise. "How did I not figure it out before?"

Sierra nodded seriously. "There were no wounds on her head. So she must have…."

"…Gotten Kawarigan," I finished.

"But we can't tell her," Sierra told me. "We can tell her after this war is over. If she finds out before then, then she may want to get involved, and I don't want that. I don't… I don't want her getting hurt."

"I completely understand," I assured her. "We need to keep her safe. Actually, that's a good idea. She doesn't need to know she has Kawarigan yet. We'll tell her once all this is over."

"Yeah… okay." Sierra then bid me farewell, and I went back to my own house.

Sierra came back to Anna's room the next morning, to help her get up. Unfortunately… Anna wasn't in her room.

* * *

><p><em>I <em>_have __Kawarigan? _Anna thought in awe as she listened attentively, quite wide awake now, to the conversation outside her door. _That__'__s _awesome_! __But__… __they __won__'__t __tell __me. __Don__'__t __want __me __involved? __I__'__ll __show __them__…__. __I__'__m __going __to __do __something __important, __whether __they __want __me __to __or __not. __I__'__ll __be __fine!_ She sat up and made a focusing handsign. _Kawarigan! _she thought, hoping for some form of reaction. She got exactly what she was hoping for: a chakra dip and a slight stinging in the eyes. She grinned, then found someone with her mind. Anyone who could walk would do. _How __about__… __Deidara?_she suggested to herself, then began the transformation.

She was incredibly happy when she felt the feeling come back to her legs. She quietly rolled over, and got to her feet. She just stood there a moment, happy to be able to stand on her own. She took a step forward, and, satisfied that she still knew how to walk, opened the window and jumped out. She was headed somewhere important. _First __I __just __need __to __get __out __of __the __house, _she thought, glancing up at the window. _That__'__s __done. __Now__…__. _She transformed back into herself, and her legs went limp again. She focused. "_Sasuke,_" she whispered, and an image immediately came to play before her eyes. She was delighted to see him going underground, where the very hideout that had exploded a few years ago had once stood. She promptly changed into Sasuke ("Oh my gosh," she cried in delight, "I'm _Sasuke_!"), stood up, and created a portal to the unsuspecting duck-butt-head.

She stepped through, unaware of the warnings I would have given her about portal collapse. "So much faster than running," she mumbled, looking around. Sasuke had just closed the hatch, luckily, so she hadn't been caught. She waited a minute or two, then slowly opened the hatch and descended down the stairs and into the hideout. _Ooh, _she thought, not daring to speak aloud. _This __place __is __dark __and __spooky. __Perfect __for __a __scary __story. _She went on tip-toe forward. _Geez, __I__'__m __starting __to __lose __who __I __am. __Now __I __know __what __Aunt __Natalie __and __Sierra __meant__…__. _She took a deep breath. _My __name __is __Annalisa. __I __like __to __draw. __I__'__m __hyper __like __my __aunt. __I __have __an __aunt __whose __name __is __Natalie. __She__'__s __my __favorite __aunt. __Sierra __is __my __older __sister__…__._

She went on like that, still searching for Sasuke or Suigetsu; maybe even Karin or Juugo. She figured they were here, since they disappeared from the village. She heard footsteps down the hall, and was glad to see a closet door nearby. However, she thought that perhaps she was trying too hard to be herself, as her legs collapsed beneath her. That, and the fact she was running low on chakra. _No, _she thought desperately, _I__'__ll __be __found, __and __killed! _She used her arms to pull herself across the floor, hoping she'd reach the door in time. She reached it and was reaching for the handle, when the footsteps paused. Then they were heard again, coming faster. _I__'__ve __been __seen! _In her haste, her hand slipped and she fell back to the floor. She reached up again, trying. Footsteps closer, closer….

"_What __are __you __doing __here?_" someone hissed from over her shoulder, and she yelped in surprise. The catcher grabbed her by the collar, and her fear wasn't lessened too much when she saw it was Sasuke. "You'll get yourself _killed!_" he exclaimed in a strained whisper. More footsteps came down the hall, and Sasuke scowled. He quickly opened the door and hid her in there, whispering a warning of, "_Be __quiet._" Sasuke needn't have worried, however, as Anna was utterly speechless.

Anna heard the voices outside the door. "Sasuke, what are you doing out here?" The tone was suspicious, and Anna could instantly tell it was Madara speaking.

"You told me I could roam freely," Sasuke replied coolly. "I thought I'd earned your trust when I got the Mangekyo?" Anna nearly gasped in understanding, but caught herself in time.

"Yes, yes… but that didn't answer my question. All I wanted to know was why you were out here."

"Nothing, really. I thought I heard something, so I came out to check."

"Oh, alright… nothing of note, I presume?"

"No; nothing important."

"Alright then…." There was a long pause. Anna was afraid to so much as breathe, for fear she would be heard. "Whose chakra is that in the closet?" Anna could feel the color drain from her face. She felt sure the door would open any second then, and she'd be killed off.

"Chakra? In the closet? Oh, that's only a Zetsu clone."

"The Zetsu clones were all destroyed," Madara countered.

"Yes, but I found a survivor. Didn't I tell you?"

"No," Madara replied, sounding very threatening.

"It's a Zetsu clone that's changed into Annalisa. It's dying, though." Anna took this as a hint to pretend to be unconscious. She did so immediately.

"Then tell me: why is this Zetsu clone in the closet?"

"It wanted to be in a closed space. The closet was the first place I thought of; I don't know this place particularly well, which you seem to have forgotten already. It would have died if I hadn't put it there, and I was thinking it could recover enough that we could replicate the cells and make more clones."

"I suppose what I don't understand is what led you to believe it would die if you hadn't put it there. And you know the prison cells work as fine closed spaces. You know your way there perfectly fine."

"I'm not exactly an _expert _on medical things. Why do you think I have Karin? Besides, the thing was gasping for air and stopped struggling once he got to the closet. Actually, the closet was the closest place anyway."

"Why didn't you tell me about the clone?"

"It must have slipped my mind." He paused. "Why do you keep questioning me? Honestly! No one is perfect, even _I_admit that. I make mistakes too, you know."

"Yes, yes…. Where did you find this clone?"

"Hiding in the hollow of a tree. I was only able to find it because of its labored breathing. Once I got it out of the hollow, he started panicking and crying for a small space. So I put him in there." Anna imagined that Sasuke gestured to the door of the closet she hid in at that point.

"But then, if that clone is so sick, then how is it still in the form of Annalisa?"

"How the hell should I know?"

There was another long pause. Anna thought of the fact that there was only a thin, wooden door separating her from Madara. Separating her from her execution. From her death; her _murder_. Finally, she heard a, "Fine," and she refrained from letting out a sigh of relief. "But be aware, Sasuke, that I mark this as suspicious. Oh, and Sasuke… be ready for tomorrow." Then there were footsteps that faded…. When she couldn't hear them anymore, she allowed herself that sigh of relief, and opened her eyes. Opening her eyes didn't do much help, though – she could only really see a line of light from the separation between the door and either the floor or the walls beside it.

Suddenly the door flung open and she was scooped up so quickly, she wasn't quite sure what happened. When she looked to the face of the person carrying her, though, she saw it was Sasuke with a very serious and focused look as his expression. She opened her mouth to speak, but he took a glance at her and clamped his hand over her mouth. At that, she let out a little whine in protest. He shot her a warning glare in response. She shut up after that.

Sasuke sped up the steps, swiftly swinging open the hatch to the outside world, and quietly yet quickly closing it when they were out. He didn't stop there, though. He ran out of the charred area where the old hideout once stood, into the trees, passing the scenery until they reached the edge of the field. There, he sat her down and leaned her against a tree, then scanned the area around him with both his eyes and his mind to make sure no one was around.

After a minute of uncomfortable silence, Anna spoke up. "What was that?"

Sasuke stopped looking around and stared at her with great intensity.

She gulped, thinking she wasn't supposed to speak yet.

He then sighed, though, and the intensity seemed to disappear. "That was me saving your life, idiot."

"I am _not_an idiot," Anna huffed.

"Yes you are!" he cried. "You went into _Madara__'__s _hideout. Not to mention you went unprepared and _alone_."

"…So?"

"So, you almost _died_. Honestly, you're lucky I'm the one who found you first."

"Wait, why did you save me? Aren't you supposed to be… um… a meanie poop now?"

He hesitated. "Yes. Yes I am."

"So why'd you save me?"

"Look, you need to get back to the Leaf," Sasuke said, avoiding the question.

"But _wait_, can you tell me some information? I don't want to come here for nothing…."

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I cannot tell you anything of the sort," he said slowly.

"But—"

"How about this?" he asked, looking directly into her eyes. "What did you learn from the conversation I had with Madara?" He asked this in a tone of voice that suggested he felt like he was speaking to a three-year-old.

She thought a moment. "…There are no Zetsu clones…. And you tried to kill Sakura to earn Madara's trust…. And team Hebi is here. Oh, and I know where the hideout is now."

"Yes," he said, satisfied. "There's your information. Therefore, I never _told _you anything. Now," he said, leaning forward with an intense stare, "do _not _tell _anyone _that I saved your life. Do not tell anyone I got Mangekyo to earn Madara's trust. And absolutely do _not _tell _any_ person that there is even the _slightest_ doubt in your mind I've gone rotten."

"…Not even Aunt Natalie or Sierra?" Anna asked quietly.

"_Especially _not Natalie or Sierra. If those two had any hope of _'__saving__' _me, they'd jump at the chance for sure. Tell anyone who asks that you think I'm too far gone to be saved. That I don't want to be saved. That I've fallen to Madara's level. _Got __it?_"

She blinked, hesitant. She didn't want to tell others what she didn't think was true, but… she'd listen to him if she had to. She slowly nodded. "Alright. Thank you for… you know… not killing me."

He turned away, and Anna was relieved to feel the tension lift. "Now get the hell away from here." He looked at her again, angry eyes blazing with Mangekyo Sharingan. "_Before __I __change __my __mind!_"

Anna scrambled to activate her Kawarigan. She didn't even give herself time to regain leg control; she just rolled into the portal to Sakura (the first person she thought of), and landed with a soft thump.

* * *

><p>...Hi. Review... or... oh, just review. Please?<p> 


	18. Chapter 17

_Ding __dong_. I frowned, not opening my eyes. Did I hear that, or just dream it? _I __probably __dreamt __it, _I told myself, then rolled over contentedly. _Ding __dong. _I opened my eyes, squinting at the light of the window in front of me. _Nope, _I thought, _not __a __dream. _I rolled out of bed and stretched, rubbing my eyes. _Now __why __would __someone __be __visiting __right __now? _As I pondered this, I remembered the fact that Anna was missing. "Maybe it's Anna!" I gasped, and ran out of my room and down the steps. "Or maybe someone found her!"

I skidded on the wooden floor, and opened the door to see Sakura and none other than Anna, in a wheelchair. "_Anna!_" I cried, and threw my arms around her. She gave a half-hearted sort of hug back. I thanked Sakura and sent her off so I could speak to my niece.

"Why didn't you want to tell me I had Kawarigan?" she huffed, crossing her arms.

"It's dangerous, especially in times like these. I really don't want you involved in this war," I explained.

"But I can do stuff!" she exclaimed. "I found Madara's hideout!"

"You did?" I asked. "I think… I think you need to tell Tsunade about this."

"I also know now that Hebi is with Sasuke and Kabuto and Madara," she continued as I pushed her out the door. "Oh, and they don't have any Zetsu clones, so you guys don't have to worry about those things."

"Well, that's good… but Anna, you really shouldn't have gone out on your own like that. You could have died! Do you want to die?"

"_No._"

"So, Anna, you need to be a bit more careful. Thank you for helping us out, but can you promise me that you won't get any more involved?"

She sighed. "Sure," she agreed, sounding depressed and defeated.

"Don't sound so down, Anna!" I chided cheerfully. "Think of it this way: you don't have to do grueling, hard work! And exercise! Look on the _bright __side _of things, okay?"

She smiled a half-hearted, lopsided smile. "Yeah." There was a long pause, and we just sorta made our way to the Hokage's office. "Oh… right," she said.

"Hm?" I responded.

"There's something supposed to happen today."

"What sort of thing?" I asked, concerned.

"Something where Madara and Sasuke are involved."

"Ah," I said in understanding. "Did you… see Sasuke?"

She hesitated on her answer. "…Yes."

"Was he consumed by hatred?"

"…Yes…," she answered slowly.

"Damn it," I muttered. "Looks like I'll just have to bring him back here again, huh Anna?"

"I don't think you should do that—" she began, but was cut off by a loud explosion. The shockwave nearly tipped Anna's wheelchair over. More booms rocked the ground and roared in our ears.

"We're being attacked!" I cried, grabbed Anna, and dove to the ground, shielding Anna with my own body. The buildings around us crumbled and fell, and a series of paper bombs exploded from everywhere at once, it seemed. It lasted for a minute or so, and I was honestly wondering when the _hell _it would end. Something big and heavy landed on us, causing me to grunt as the air was knocked out of me, but whatever it was protected us from other things like shattered glass or electric wires. Once they stopped, I heard a voice echoing from everywhere at once.

"_Come __on, __Leaf __Village!_" the voice called. I lifted the heavy thing, which I think was a large piece of wall, off of us, and asked Anna if she was alright. "_Where __are __you? __Where __is __the __so-called__ '__Allied __Forces?__' __Come __out __and __fight!_" I noticed then that atop the village walls was Madara, with a brand-new swirly, orange mask hiding his face. How could I see the village walls from where I was? Well… the entire Leaf Village was demolished. Kinda like how Pain was supposed to destroy it but didn't, and… yeah. The village was rubble. "_This __is __your __wake up __call, __Leaf __ninja! __Get __ready __for _war!" Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over, and Madara was gone. So were the two that had stood beside him: Sasuke and Kabuto.

"Well… crap," I muttered as rescue teams were sent out to retrieve the survivors. "We need to find Tsunade." Upon finding Anna's wheelchair was crushed and unusable, I allowed her to climb on my back, and I piggybacked her in the direction of where the Hokage's office once stood. When we reached where it was, there was a very angry Tsunade, sending out dozens of orders to the ninja that crowded around her. I stood off to the side, waiting for everyone to be gone, and then approached the Hokage.

"Lady Tsunade," I told her urgently, "we have the location of Madara's hideout."

"_What?_" she demanded. "Tell me; we need to know!"

I nudged Anna to tell her where it was.

"Well, you know that hideout they were in last time?" Anna asked.

Tsunade nodded. "The one that burnt down, correct?"

Anna nodded. "They're in the same place, just underground. There's a hatch that leads to the new hideout that's hidden in the debris of the old hideout."

"Alright. Thank you. How do you know this?"

"She went out alone," I explained.

"I have Kawarigan!" Anna added proudly.

"You do? Then I believe I'll have to ask that you participate in this war…. We need all the people we can get, at this point."

"Wait," I argued. "I don't want her in this war. Could she stay here so Aishuu could be watched? Aishuu is an important key point in this war too. And besides, wouldn't it be smart to keep _some_ninja at the village to help protect the citizens?"

She pursed her lips. "Alright. Anna, I suppose you can stay here and help protect… what's left of the village. Take good care of Aishuu as well. Did you gain any other information?"

"Yes," Anna replied. "There won't be any Zetsu clones in this war, they were wiped out. There's also the fact that Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo are all with Sasuke."

"Sasuke and Madara… and now those three," she muttered, biting her lip. "I'm never allowing another S-ranked criminal into Konoha." She looked back up and looked at me with a stern gaze. "No more 'saving' people, got it? If you do save them, send them to another village!"

"Er, yes Lady Tsunade," I obeyed quietly, though not completely agreeing with it.

"Oh, yes, and weren't those two… Ashlie and Agatha; are you still in contact with them?"

I straightened up. "Yes, milady."

"Contact them and tell them to come here so they can help us. If they can't come, or don't want to, that's fine."

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, then ran off with Anna on my back.

* * *

><p><em>Ashlie, please come back to this world. Bring Zetsu if you can. Only come if you're able, and if you're prepared for the same war you're fighting over there. Thanks,<em>

_Natalie_

I sent the message to Zetsu, then brought out another piece of paper immediately.

_Agatha, you might wanna come over to this world, okay? Bring Shikamaru – and even David – if you can. There's war going on, and we need all the help we can get. Don't come if you don't want to, but it would be appreciated. Thanks,_

_Natalie_

I sent that to Shikamaru, then leaned back and sighed. I was sitting alone, in The Clearing, saddened by… well, life in general. I just sent two notes to two friends to ask if they would risk their lives to help. I'd had enough of life-risking, if you know what I mean. I then headed back to the remains of the Leaf, and waited for Ashlie and Agatha. I began to wonder how they would get here….

* * *

><p>"The last Zetsu clone died," Sasuke announced.<p>

"Oh?" Madara asked.

Sasuke took his seat at the stone table and folded his fingers together, leaning forward in, well, a Sasuke-y pose. "So, then, what, exactly, are our plans now that the Zetsu clones are officially demolished?" he asked.

"Don't forget," Kabuto reminded him, "that I still have my Impure World Resurrection."

"And don't you worry, Sasuke, I've had a few years to think on this. I have a plan; you'll see," Madara said.

"What role do _we_play in this?" Karin asked.

"You're helpers," Sasuke replied flatly.

"Can we at least _fight_ in the war?" Suigetsu asked.

"I'm not too sure I want to fight our, er, former friends," Juugo came in.

"You'll do as I ask," Sasuke replied darkly. "And you can—" He was cut off by his own gasp of air as a jumble of people landed directly atop him.

"_What __is __this?_" Madara snapped.

"Oh, hi Maddie! What're _you_doing in this dark, depressing… not-very-fun… evil-looking place?" Agatha greeted. "Sorry Sasuke. I've gotta stop _landing_on you! And with other people this time, too!"

Shikamaru huffed and pulled himself out of the pile, muttering to himself. Something about portals being _troublesome _and _untrustworthy._

David stood up with a grin. "You _liked _being on top of _'__Bambi,__' _didn't you?"

A slight blush crossed her cheeks. "Will you shut up already David? Maybe I _should _have left you behind!"

Beneath the mask, Madara smiled. Agatha didn't know he was a bad guy. "Oh, hello there, Agatha, I didn't know it was you!"

Sasuke turned his glaring, red-eyed gaze at Madara.

"Hey, Sasuke… you have Mangekyo?" Agatha asked, confused.

"I thought Uchiha got that when they killed their best friend…," Shikamaru said.

"Yeah," David agreed.

"And why is Kabuto here? Damn, am I in the wrong world?" Agatha huffed.

"No, Agatha, you're not," Sasuke growled. "Looking for Natalie? You're in the wrong place!"

Madara frowned. There went that idea. "Yes, Agatha, honestly… have you not figured it out?"

"I think _I_might have," Shikamaru muttered.

"I'm pretty sure Muse has got it down, too," Agatha frowned. "Are you two…?"

"They're on my side, yes," Kabuto said nonchalantly.

"Sasuke, what got you into this _this _time?" Shikamaru sighed.

"You have no _idea _about me!" Sasuke hissed.

"Yeah, that's exactly why I'm _asking_," he replied. "Agatha, I think we should head to the Leaf."

"Right on it," she replied, and they stepped through a portal that Madara guessed led to Deidara, considering that's the name she muttered under her breath before the portal appeared.

When they were gone, Sasuke straightened himself. "They couldn't have heard anything, correct?" Madara asked, looking to Kabuto.

"No, they only get here when they get here. The only thing they heard of our conversation was Sasuke's gasp, if that can really be considered a part of the conversation."

"Alright," Madara said with a satisfied nod, and they continued with their meeting.

* * *

><p>"So… you both went for Deidara, huh?" I asked with a sigh.<p>

"Well, he'd be most likely to be around you," Ashlie shrugged.

"…Right."

"Actually," Agatha said, "I went to Sasuke first." She frowned. "Apparently it was a bad idea…."

"Did you land on _Sasuke_, too, hm?" Deidara asked grumpily.

"Er, yeah…."

"I think you need to work on your portals," Shikamaru suggested. "Otherwise, you're going to find yourself constantly teased by your brother for being in awkward positions."

David smirked. "He's right, you know."

Agatha sighed. "Yeah…."

"Right…," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I probably should have told you about that…."

"**About ****what?**" Zetsu asked.

"About the fact that Madara and Sasuke have gone to… the _dark__side_."

"Yeah, well, I found out anyway," Agatha pointed out.

"Yeah… oops. Okay, so, as you can see, the Leaf is pretty much obliterated," I said, gesturing around us.

"Yeah, what happened?" Ashlie asked.

"Kabuto, Sasuke, and Madara blew it up."

David frowned. "Well that sucks."

"Yeah. Yeah it does," I agreed. "Let's head to the cocoa tree. That's the Riaru's current meeting place since Sam's house is… well… destroyed." They nodded, and we began heading there. "Okay… let me think, what's a recap of what happened since I last talked to you…? Ah, yes. I'll start from when I last talked to Agatha, since I've seen you more recently, Ash."

"Okay," the two of them replied.

"Okay, so… we found Itachi. He was apparently alive."

"Really?" Agatha smiled.

"Yes. Now Anna was attacked by a supposed beast, and now she can't move her legs. She earned Kawarigan because of that…."

"Don't you have to protect someone to get Kawarigan?" Ashlie asked.

"Yes," I replied, surprised at that revelation. "Now I wonder how she got that…. Anyway, after that, Sasuke went off, saying he was overwhelmed or something. Sierra, Itachi, and Sam all eventually came to suspect Madara of helping Kabuto, and he admitted what he did, then ran off. We left the paradise after that. We were attacked by Sasuke on the way back to the Leaf, and he tried to kill Itachi. He told me he was joining Madara, then left. Then Sasuke decided to try and kill Sakura to earn his Mangekyo. He didn't kill Sakura, but he thinks he did, so he successfully earned that eye technique. Anna found out she had Kawarigan soon after and headed to Madara's hideout and got information. Then the Leaf Village blew up, and I was told by Tsunade to tell you guys to come here. So… yeah. The end."

"Well, at least no one died," Ash pointed out as we reached the cocoa tree that stood alone in the middle of the field in Sam's backyard. Sierra, Anna, Sam, Aishuu, and Itachi were waiting for us. I sighed at the realization that there were less and less people every time the Riaru had a meeting.

"Okay guys," I said, "we're going to war. I'd like to have this meeting before we go to Tsunade to learn about what group we're in." We'd filled out forms earlier on about our strongest jutsu and our fighting styles and such. Well, everyone in the village did it, excluding Ash, Zetsu, Agatha, Shikamaru, and David.

"Except for me," Anna added dejectedly.

I continued, "Sierra, I'd like to ask you something."

"What?" she replied.

"You're closest to Suigetsu. You'd know this best. If Sasuke told him to come with him, would he go willingly?"

There was a long pause. "…Yes," she said eventually, "he'd go willingly. Even when he _had_ become a good guy, he still loved to kill. He'd jump at the chance to kill something again…."

"Alright, now, would he willingly kill one of us?"

She looked up from the ground. "No…. I don't think so…."

"Then we'll bring him back. Now, as for Juugo, you were closest to him, too. Would he leave willingly if Sasuke asked him to?"

"Yes. He goes where Sasuke goes, because he believes Sasuke is the only one who can calm him down."

"And would he willingly kill us?"

"He doesn't want to kill anyone. My guess is he's against fighting in this war at all."

"And Karin…." I shrugged. "She'll just do whatever Sasuke tells her to. The only thing that'll snap her out of her fangirl-ness is if Sasuke tried to kill her, and something tells me he's not going to do that. Yet." I turned to Anna. "Anna. Do you _promise_to try your best not to get involved?"

"I promise," she sighed.

"Pinkie promise?" I insisted, holding out my pinkie. She held out her own pinkie in response, and the pinkies hooked together to lock the promise. "Take good care of Aishuu, alright?" I asked lightly.

She nodded. "Yeah…."

I nodded back, satisfied. "Sam, don't get worried about your baby. Just saying; I don't know if you'll have separation anxiety or something like that."

Sam rolled her eyes at me.

"Right…. Itachi, you're most likely to be evenly matched with Madara, so you're most likely to be the one to kill him. You have the Eternal Mangekyo, after all. Assuming Madara doesn't commit suicide and Naruto doesn't go hero and kill him, you'll probably face him. So… don't die, is probably all I can say. Don't hold back… and try not to kill Sasuke."

"I don't know why you believe me to want to kill him," Itachi said. "And I'll try my best not to die," he added with a reassuring smile.

"Alright, now," I continued, "that pretty much goes for everyone. Do your best to survive in these tough times. We've lost so many friends already." There were a few small, solemn nods. "Is everyone ready… for war?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," was Sierra's reply.

I nodded. "Alright, let's head to Tsunade to learn our groups." We headed to the new place of the Hokage's office: a large, closed tent that had many ninja going in and out as they learned their positions. Our group made its way in, and we stood in line, waiting for the Hokage to sign us in, tell us our groups, and give us our Joint Shinobi Forces headband.

"Name?"

"Sierra Hozuki," Sierra replied quietly.

Tsunade wrote down her name. "Logistical Support and Medical Division," Tsunade said, and handed her the headband.

"Thank you." Sierra bowed, then left, pushing Anna along.

"Name?"

"**Zetsu.**"

"Sensor Division." She handed him the headband. "Name?"

"Ashlie."

"Fifth Division. Name?"

"David." There was a pause. "Agatha's brother."

"Oh… hm…. How do you fight?"

"Well, I'm pretty good at it," he said haughtily. "I'm strong, obviously—"

"Stop bragging and tell me your fighting style," Tsunade snapped. "This is serious business!"

"Right, right, okay, lady…," David said, holding out his hands as if presenting peace. "I'm more short-range, I guess, but I'm good at—"

"Second Division," Tsunade interrupted, and handed him a headband. "Name?"

"Shikamaru Nara."

"Glad to have you back, Shikamaru. You'll be the Fourth Division Proxy Commander." She handed him a headband. "Name?"

"Agatha Nara."

"Second Division. Name?"

"Itachi Uchiha."

"Fifth Division. Name?"

"Sam Uchiha."

Tsunade frowned, and wrote, 'Samantha Uchiha' instead. "Surprise Attack Division. Name?"

"Natalie," I replied. "But Tsunade, I just have a quick question."

"Make it quick."

I lowered my voice as I asked, "Was Island Turtle attacked?"

She looked up at me from her papers. "Yes," she frowned, speaking in a low voice. Raising her voice again, she said, "Surprise Attack Division."

"Wait," I said, confused, as she handed me the headband.

"_What?_"

"I'm not an ambush type of person at all…."

"Maybe not, but you have Kawarigan. That's long-range, and takes people by surprise. You can't exactly stand in the middle of the battlefield and try and use it; you have to stand still while you're doing it, right? You'd be killed off pretty quickly. You can use Kawarigan from afar, however, to stop some of the people from the Impure World Resurrection."

"Okay, I get that, but Kawarigan drains chakra quickly."

She bit her lip. "Well then, I guess I'll send out Katsuyu. I'll help the wounded, and keep supplying you chakra. How's that?"

I smiled. "It's good. Thank you." I bowed, then walked off. As I left, I heard Deidara being told he was in the Surprise Attack Division….

* * *

><p>...Hn.<p> 


	19. Chapter 18

Happy Thanksgiving! (For those of you who have Thanksgiving today, anyway...) I'm incredibly sorry for not being able to update yesterday... I had rehearsal after school, and then had to go to my grammy's house soon after, where I don't have internet connection... so... Yeah, sorry I couldn't update. I tried, I really did, but then my mom got impatient, so... Still, I hope you enjoy it! Ah, and here's the replies to the reviews I either couldn't reply to because my computer's stupid, or I simply couldn't reply to:

**Britt3899**: Yeah, I don't think being dead is particularly fun... Sorry 'bout that. But I'm glad you still like this anyway!

**LatyfeSurLeSora**: Yeah, Tsunade wearing herself out really would suck... Let's hope it doesn't happen.

So... enjoy!

* * *

><p>I rolled over, opening my eyes. Then I noticed no one was in any of the sleeping bags around me. "I'm late!" I cried, scrambling to get out of my sleeping bag. "Why didn't someone wake me up?"<p>

I slipped on my sandals and ran towards where the ninja were supposed to meet, stumbling as I ran. In my haste, I ended up running into someone. I was the one who fell over. "Sorry," the person apologized, holding out his hand to help me up.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I brushed myself off. I looked up at him. "I should be the one apolo—" Then I recognized the smiling face, and immediately started strangling the poor man. "Get the hell out of this village!" I yelled, and people stared…. Oops. Well, then again, the people didn't realize this was Madara Uchiha I was strangling. "Stop stalking me, you freakin' creeper!"

He brought his hands to my wrists to make me stop. He gently but firmly took my hands away from his neck. "I know," he said sadly, "I deserve it."

"What is _wrong_with you?" I cried, exasperated. "Are you bipolar or something? One second you're all evil and wanting to kill babies, the next moment and you're being all nice and modest and admitting all you're doing is wrong!"

"What's wrong with me… is you. Don't you get it? I never got over that."

"Dude, you proved you hated me when you started killing off my friends."

"I never meant to hurt you—"

"Cut the crap, Maddie! You're a genius, right? If so, than how can you not get that killing one person doesn't just affect that person?" He didn't reply. "For example, when Sarah was killed, that didn't just affect Sarah! It made me sad, it made Sam incredibly depressed and emo, it freaked out the Hokage and its citizens, and it caused Hidan to have a breakdown! And guess what, Maddie? Hidan is _dead_ now, all because you decided to kill one person. Even one little thing can effect so much!"

There was silence. "I see what you mean," Madara sighed, looking guiltily to the ground. "I just can't help who I am, you know. I was born into a world full of war and conflict. I was born into a clan full of pride and hatred. I can't change that. How could anyone ever change who they are?"

I rose an eyebrow. "Any Riaru can change that, smart one."

He frowned.

"But you know who the best person is to change that?" I asked.

He looked up.

"It's you. _You_ can change that if you try hard."

"Hey, Natalie!" Sam called from down the street.

Madara smiled sadly, and swirled away.

Sam caught up to me, and I shook my head. "Did you see that?" I asked, pointing to the place where Madara was a second ago.

She looked to where I pointed. "I dunno; I wasn't looking."

"Madara came again!" I cried.

"_Again?_" she asked.

"Yeah… he came here before, saying he wanted to see me…. Just now he came to me saying he wanted to change, but couldn't…. Are you sure there's no possibility that he's still good?" I asked thoughtfully.

Sam stared at me with a look that said, 'Are you kidding me?' "Natalie," she said very seriously, "he's faking it. That's another thing Uchihas are: good actors."

"Well, yeah, but he really did seem sincere…."

Sam stopped and grabbed my shoulders, looking straight into my eyes. "Natalie. He's faking it. He kills people in cold blood. He's not feeling any guilt, not this time. In fact, I'm not even sure he felt it at all in the first place. If anything, he's just trying to earn your trust. _Don__'__t __fall __for __it._Especially not in a dangerous time like this. Okay?"

I nodded.

She released my shoulders, and we continued on our way. "So… you're in the Surprise Attack Division too, right?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Yup."

"You're not good at ambush, though, I thought. Will you be using Kawarigan too?"

She shrugged. "I guess I'll use some Kawarigan, but mostly I'll be using a bow and arrow."

"A bow and arrow?"

"Yeah, I've been practicing with one the past few years; I guess I didn't tell you. I can't wait to use it, actually. I've always loved archery." She grinned excitedly. "And the tips are poisoned!"

"Sam, the tips being poisoned won't help you against zombies."

"Oh… right…. Well, I'll just use the arrows on the living enemies. The zombies I can use Kawarigan on."

"Alright," I shrugged. "That works. Just don't get yourself killed."

"I'll be fine," she scoffed, waving it off.

I pressed my lips together, worried. "Sam, please take this seriously. I don't… I don't want to lose you too."

She looked at me. "Don't worry. I _am_taking this seriously; and I'll try harder than I've ever tried at anything before. I'm determined to survive."

I smiled half-heartedly. "Don't try too hard, though… that could kill you too."

"Fine then, I'll just be really focused. I won't die in this war; I promise."

I nodded, trying my best to look convinced. "Alright. And I won't die either."

We reached the meeting place, where many ninja were bidding their loved ones farewell. "Bye, Aishuu," I whispered, poking his nose. He smiled a toothless, baby smile in reply. Anna was carrying him.

Sam scooped up Aishuu and held him up a moment, causing him to squeal in delight. She began her goodbyes to her child as I turned to Anna. "Bye, Anna," I smiled sadly, leaning in and giving her a big hug.

She hugged back, holding tight as if she never wanted to let me go. "Please don't die, Aunt Natalie," she said softly, sounding on the verge of tears.

I forced a smile. "We'll be fine. You be careful, now, Anna."

"Aunt Natalie… war is bad…."

"Yes it is, Anna."

"Please… please be very, very careful."

I gave her a sad, sad smile. "I'll do my best. I promise."

"Pinkie promise?"

I hooked my pinkie with hers. "Pinkie promise."

Then Sierra came to say goodbye to her little sister. Anna, who seemed a little better after my promise, frowned at Sierra and said sternly, "You better not die, Sierra."

She laughed. "I won't, Anna," she said, ruffling Anna's hair.

"Hey!" Anna cried out in protest.

I headed over to Sam, Itachi, and Aishuu. "Come on, guys, it's time… to go to war." Sam hesitantly gave Aishuu back to Anna, and as Sam turned away, Aishuu began to cry.

* * *

><p>It took a few days to get to the headquarters of the Allied Shinobi Forces, seeing as it was in the Land of Lightning. We had to pass through the Land of Hot Water (I felt a twinge of grief at the memory of Hidan in our time there) and the Land of Frost to get there, added to the fact both lands were being evacuated into the Land of Fire, in the opposite direction of where we were heading. The evacuees made it slower going, but we managed pretty well. When we reached headquarters, I was both glad and worried. Walkingjumping all day wasn't my thing, but I wasn't much looking forward to war, either.

We soon had to split off into our groups. I noticed I wasn't the only one carrying a Katsuyu on my shoulder. All of the Riaru had one, along with some of the medics, and a few others. Luckily, there were a few I knew in my division, including Sam, Deidara, Kankuro, and Sai. But then, maybe having friends at your side during war isn't a good thing, because then it's possible you have to watch them die. Gaara stood at the front of the crowd, about to give his speech, no doubt.

Sai was talking to Kankuro, trying to figure out his nickname. Sam was muttering something under her breath about Omoi being a worry-wart, and I just stood there, waiting attentively. Somewhere ahead of us I heard two people get into a fight. "Three times now…" Gaara began once the fight stopped abruptly, "…we've fought world wars for our own nations, our own villages." He continued on with his speech. I know I'd read it before, but it was so much more when you heard it in person. Even when I'm more of a visual person, it just… reached out to you more when you're actually there. When you hear it aloud, from a person who's actually in front of you. When he finished with a simple, "Everyone who's with me, let's go!" he earned a bout of cheering. It made me smile.

"I think that's the most we've heard Gaara speak," Sam commented thoughtfully.

"Yeah," I laughed. "He's such a good speaker, though."

"Yeah…," she agreed. And then we were sent off. The Surprise Attack Division – _my _division – was headed into enemy territory. Most of the shinobi in my group were riding on Sai's birds, but Sam, Deidara, and I were each on one of Deidara's birds. I didn't say it aloud, but I liked the fact we were riding on these birds. It helped relieve the tension, the worry and anxiety of what was to come. Sure, I'd read about this war in the manga, but that was years ago, and who knew how it would play out with the differences made? For example, there were no Zetsu clones. Then there was the fact that the Riaru actually existed, and then _Aishuu_was now a main point in this war. Plus, people like Deidara and Itachi and Zetsu were alive and on our side.

We eventually reached where we would set up camp, and Kankuro began giving out orders. "We're in enemy territory now," he told us. "We'll use this area as our main base and set up satellite bases nearby."

_They __have __satellites? _I wondered.

"Our first priority is to set up time bombs and sneak attacks. Set up entry points at 2 o'clock and 6 o'clock within a ten meter radius!" He turned to Omoi, whom Sam had dubbed "The Worry-Wart," as she didn't feel like learning his name. "Omoi, you place explosive tag traps in every other direction and report back." He looked to Sai and Deidara. "Sai, Deidara, you get back up in the air and keep watch."

"All right," Sai nodded.

"Got it," Deidara agreed.

"Ittan, use your earth techniques to dig trenches." I didn't remember the name Ittan, nor did I recognize him in the slightest. I think that, after that, I recognized him by his beard. "Tango, set up a chakra transmission antenna."

"Yes, sir!" Tango replied. I didn't really know Tango either, but his name was memorable enough, and I was able to recognize him by his slanted eyes. I was doing my very best to learn the names of the people in my division, despite the fact that I am utterly _horrible _with names. It's amazing I remember the names of all the characters so far, really.

"Saji, Hoheto, Sam, and Natalie are on sensor and guard duty."

I nodded, while Sam gave an, "Okay."

"Got it!" Saji said with a confident smirk. I thought I'd be able to recognize him with his confidence alone, but I can say he had straight, flat hangy-thingies framing his face (yes, I still call them hangy-thingies). Hoheto was obviously a Hyuuga; I could tell by his pale eyes. He was the only Hyuuga in the group, so that shouldn't have been too hard to remember.

"Kiri and I will plan our strategy," Kankuro concluded.

Kiri responded with a "Roger that!" Kiri had dark, spiky hair that wasn't hard to forget. Then again, I happen to notice hair first on most people…. I don't know, maybe I'm hair-obsessed. That would explain why I love petting people's hair….

"With a sensor like me on the job you've got nothing to worry about!" Saji the Confident proclaimed.

"This is _war_, Saji," Ittan the Beard Dude warned him. "Don't let your guard down for a moment! If you don't want to lose your head, pull it outta your ass!"

"Harsh," I mumbled.

"I know, I know," Saji the Confident responded, "I may not look like much, but they chose me for this squad because I'm totally elite…. So, uh, anything else we should be on the lookout for?" he asked, looking to Kankuro.

Kankuro began explaining the Impure World Resurrection. I was given the reminder that even if Kabuto was killed, the zombies wouldn't be stopped. I also learned something I didn't know, or had forgotten: that if we spotted Kabuto, we were to try and capture him. It made sense, though. If we caught him and used genjutsu to trick him into ending the jutsu, most of Madara's army would be gone. That'd almost _guarantee_the win of the Allied Shinobi Forces. Unless, of course, Madara had something else up his sleeve….

So, I activated my Kawarigan, ready to sense any enemy that came our way. It was, in fact, Saji the Confident who sensed a problem first. "What's wrong?" Kankuro asked him.

"It's a Jamming Technique!" Saji the Confident replied.

I blinked as I realized that he was right. There was something wrong with my sensing abilities. Things weren't as clear; I knew something was approaching, but I sure as heck didn't know _what_. Saji the Confident was right; we were losing our ability to sense properly. Someone nearby fell to the ground with a thud, facedown. "That's Muta!" Saji the Confident cried, jumping out of his trench. "The Aburame assigned to the Advance Recon Cell!"

"I don't think he should be running forward like that," I whispered to myself as I tried to remember if this happened in the manga. I vaguely remembered Kankuro turning Sasori into a good guy, but that didn't help me much, as Sasori didn't seem to be anywhere near here.

"Get away… from me…," the Aburame called Muta murmured to Saji the Confident.

"Something bad's gonna happen," I said to myself, straightening up. "I think that guy's a zombie…." (Actually, I was wrong in that assumption. He was, I later learned, being controlled by Sasori's puppet strings.)

"Something's in that bug jar on his back, but it's not the Aburame clan's bugs!" Hoheto the Hyuuga warned urgently.

"They didn't waste any time!" Kankuro exclaimed, waving his arm to prepare to use the chakra threads technique thing.

"Wha—" Saji the confident gasped as the new guy – the intruder – jumped to his feet and brought his arm around his neck. The intruder ran forward, holding Saji the confident in front of him like a shield. Omoi the Worry-Wart grew almost frantic, not knowing what to do. Ittan the Beard Dude went on a short, angry, I-told-you-so rant to Saji the Confident.

"There are tons of paper bombs inside Muta's bug jar!" Hoheto the Hyuuga exclaimed.

"Get him, Ittan!" Kankuro ordered.

And then, at that moment, the bug jar exploded. I ducked into a trench for cover, but that didn't much help my ears. I never really did like loud noises. When the light faded, I straightened up immediately. "Kiri," Kankuro commanded, "heal Saji. They're coming again, everyone stay on guard." It all went quickly, though. Two more people appeared (who I didn't recognize, but Saji the Now-Not-So-Confident did), and someone came down from the sky in a surprise attack.

"Sam, look out!" I called to her, but Sai, who made perfect timing in coming back, attacked the one from the sky before he could attack us. Deidara landed nearby.

"You dirty scumbags!" Kankuro yelled at the two new intruders, plus the _new_ new dude, who was… Mackenzie. Holy crud.

Sam laughed at Kankuro's name-calling. "You fuzzbags!" she added, then spotted Mackenzie.

"Hey, guys…," Mackenzie greeted with a weak smile.

"You'll pay for this!" Saji the Supposedly-Confident announced. Kankuro called out for Sasori to show himself, and I inwardly smiled.

At least we could save one person. We could save someone, and free them. Free them to go happily to the afterlife; to Heaven. _And __I__'__ll __leave __it __all __to __Kankuro__…__, _I thought. I wasn't quite sure what happened after that. Omoi the Worry-Wart grew serious and cut Sasori's chakra strings, Kankuro yanked Sasori down where we were with _his_ chakra strings, Ittan the Beard Dude used an Earth Style technique to raise the ground even higher than it was around us, and Mackenzie lost her balance and fell over. To the best of my knowledge at that time, though, all I saw was Omoi the Worry-Wart spazzing, Sasori falling, Mackenzie falling, and the ground rising. If anything, it confused me.

I squinted at the scene, trying to figure out what, exactly, just happened. "Don't just stand there!" Kankuro yelled, looking at me. "There's no time to think at this point; just _move!_" I had a horrible feeling. A feeling that I was utterly helpless in this situation. I knew I had to do _something_, but I didn't know how I could help, in any way at all.

The next thing I knew, there was a puppet Sasori, Mackenzie was twirling her staff, and there was a wall around Kiri (who I then dubbed 'The Healer') and the injured (apparently the two new dudes _were _on our side), plus Omoi the Worry-Wart. There was a lot of movement, and suddenly one of the intruders was trapped. I rubbed the back of my head. "What the hell just happened?" I asked myself. There were ink things around us then, and the next thing I knew, Mackenzie and Sasori were in puppets.

I blinked. _Wait__…__, _I thought. _If __we __seal __them, __doesn__'__t __that __mean __we __seal __their __souls, __ultimately __not __allowing __them __back __into __the __afterlife?_ "Mackenzie!" I shouted. "How was that daydream?"

There was a muffled, "It was good…. What are you, an idiot? You're in a fight right now!"

I bit my lip. _Think, __Natalie, __think__…__. __I __know __Sasori __was __set __free, __but __then__… __then __Deidara __was __trapped. __And __was __he __sealed__…__? _I pursed my lips. _Right. __He __wasn__'__t __sealed, __so __I __just __have __to __keep __her __from __being __sealed __until __Kabuto __releases __the __jutsu. __Surely __that__'__ll __work__…__._

I looked around. _Now __what __do __I __do?_Was there anyone to fight? But… there was no one. Omoi the Worry-Wart stuck lightning into the puppets with a zombie in them. And then, of course, there was also the guy Sai was fighting, but if I helped with that, I'd only be in the way…. In fact, he was already sending ink snakes to bind the zombie. Once Sasori was gone (because of Kankuro's speech, of course), they opened the puppet and put the other zombie inside it.

"…I think it's over…," Kiri the Healer said to the silence, as some of the others puzzled silently over the corpse Sasori left behind. I cursed at myself in my head when I realized I could have helped the healer with the Katsuyu.

"This was just the first round!" Kankuro disagreed. This, despite being not-all-that-great news, was comforting. I hoped I could be of more help next time. "Sai, Omoi, Saji, it's time to launch the ambush!"

I gulped. Still, war didn't seem very fun. At all. _Well__… __at __least __it__'__s __fun __riding __on __birds, _I thought to myself as we took to the skies and began to soar over the forest, now below us. _I __wonder __how __everyone __else __is __doing__…__._

* * *

><p><em>I <em>_wonder __how __the __others __are __doing__…_, Anna thought absently as she fed Aishuu some baby food. "It's probably not so _boring_in war," she muttered to herself. "I _do _hope they come back safe…. I wonder what they're doing right now…. What kind of people is Sierra healing? Do I know any of them? Has anyone been attacked yet?" She sighed. "I'll never know, though, will I? Not until they get back…." She paused. "I wonder what zombies they'll meet. Will they meet anyone they know well, like… like Britt? I sure hope not. That would just be mean of Kabuto. Pff, and _Sierra _thought Kabuto was _awesome_," she scoffed. "I should probably head to the… oh, I don't know what it's called," she huffed, then looked to Aishuu. "Do _you _know what it's called?" Anna asked sweetly.

Aishuu squealed in delight in response.

"Come on," Anna said, adjusting her position and tying in the child so Aishuu was steady on his own, and began pushing the wheels of her wheelchair to get her to the place where all the citizens of the Leaf went in times like this. It was kind of like an evacuation place, inside the Hokage Monument. Normally, they wouldn't have gone there, but their homes were demolished and they didn't have much choice. So, Anna continued with a day that seemed to drag on forever, yet go so fast….

* * *

><p>"Your goal is simple: find some Leaf shinobi, pretend to be <em>on <em>_their __side_, then turn on them when the time seems right," Sasuke said to team Hebi with authority.

Suigetsu raised his hand, but didn't wait to be called on when he said, "Why?"

"I want it to seem like… _you __are __on __their __side,_" Sasuke replied. "That way you can _trick _the enemy. Do you understand that you are _trying __to __trick __your __enemy_? Be sure _not __to __tell __them __of __our __plan_."

"Er… yes, Sasuke," Karin said.

Juugo mouthed an, 'Oh,' and nodded. "I understand, Sasuke. Be on their side until the time is right."

"And…?" Sasuke chided.

"And don't tell them of your plan," Juugo smiled.

Sasuke smirked back, satisfied. "Now go," he said seriously, smirk vanishing. "You can act as though you escaped from here. I'll meet up with you eventually."

* * *

><p>Eh... ta-da?<p> 


	20. Chapter 19

What's this? A double update? But why? Well... One, it's Thanksgiving (where I am). Two, I couldn't update yesterday, and therefore this is kinda like my apology. And three... 'cause I felt like doing a double update. So, here you are!

* * *

><p>Sam was the one who sensed them first. A group of shinobi on Akatsuki's side; all zombies, probably. Sai sent three small ink birds down, with paper bombs attached. …Deidara sent down three clay birds that exploded when Deidara said so. The six birds exploded down in the trees below us. I frowned. I didn't really like being in the ambush squad. I really <em>wasn<em>_'__t _good at it, and honestly, I was the type who didn't strike first. We happened to be doing a lot of that, though.

Saji the Now-Probably-At-Least-Somewhat-Confident-Again lit a red flare at Sai's command. Deidara and Sai kept sending down bombs, hoping to subdue the enemy; at least until backup arrived. The bombs, after all, couldn't kill them. They were already dead. In fact, I had an idea of who we were facing when it began to snow.

"Guys!" I called. "Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist, is here, along with Haku!"

"The Demon of the Mist?" Sai asked seriously.

"Ooh, I get to meet Haku!" Sam cried in delight.

"Sam!" I barked. "Now is _not_the time to be fangirling over Haku! Besides, you're _married_."

"…I was only excited to see him…," she muttered.

"Sam. He'll try to kill you."

"So?"

I sighed and shook my head. A mirror appeared above Sai, and suddenly all of the ink birds broke, sending anyone on them to the ground. Deidara, Sam, and I were the only ones in the air. Our birds swooped down to help them, just as the Third Division appeared as backup. I recognized a few of the people in that division: Kakashi, Guy, Sakura, Lee, and Kara. I also noticed that I recognized one other person from the _enemy_ group: Tama.

"Oh, _come __on_," I muttered to myself as we joined them on the field.

"They all have blood-line limits!" someone exclaimed in a strained whisper.

"Don't move, wait for the Commander's orders!" another hissed back.

_Jeez, _I thought, _Kakashi __sure __has __to __deal __with __a __lot __of __people __in __his __division._ _I__'__m __actually __glad __I__'__m __not __him__…__._

* * *

><p>"Come on," Suigetsu moaned, "why did we have to walk so <em>far<em>?"

"Shut up, Suigetsu!" Karin hissed. "You're lucky Madara teleported us or you'd be doing a _lot_more walking! And besides, there are people up ahead!"

"Really? Are they the people we're supposed to _pretend _to be with?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, alright then, why didn't you say so?"

Karin fumed, not answering.

"Surely this'll be easy," Suigetsu continued with a shrug, and peeked out into the clearing. He could instantly tell it wasn't originally a clearing. It was blown up recently, in fact. His eyes widened at one in particular thing he saw, however. Then, he smirked. "_Ooh_, this'll be one interesting battle that _I _wanna be in!"

Karin yanked him back by the collar. "Stop it!"

"What? The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist are out there… and one of them's my _brother_! I _gotta _fight them!"

"You idiot! We're only _pretending_to be on the Leaf's side; we can't actually attack them!"

"Actually, we _are_on the Leaf's side," Juugo came in. "That's what Sasuke was telling us; we are supposed to go back and fight alongside the Leaf."

Karin loosened her grip on Suigetsu's collar, at which he pulled himself out of her grip as she asked, "Really? Is that what he said?"

"Indirectly," Juugo replied. "If you paid good attention, he was emphasizing specific things. He emphasized that were 'on their side' and that we were 'trying to trick the enemy.' The thing is, he never specified who the enemy was."

"And when he told us not to give away the plan, he was talking about _his_plan, not his and Madara's, right?" Suigetsu asked. "He wasn't stating the obvious?"

"Exactly…. And when he said to turn on them when the moment is right, I think the moment is when Madara or Kabuto is watching."

"…That makes sense," Karin agreed. "Okay, so, _now _what do we do?"

"We go around them," Juugo said matter-of-factly, and took the two of them by the arm and pulled them along.

"What—_why _are we going around them?" Karin asked.

"Because, I think we should lead the Allied Forces away from the undead. Suigetsu, was there anyone there you recognized? Anyone close to Sierra?"

"Eh? Uh, yeah…. There was Sam, and Natalie. I think I saw the blondie on the bird, too."

"_Deidara_, you mean?" Karin asked.

"Yeah, him."

"Alright… I'm pretty sure Sasuke would want Samantha to be safe… so we have to somehow lead the Allied Forces – or at least Sam's division – away from the fight."

"Why don't we just send up a flare?" Suigetsu suggested, crossing his arms.

"Yeah… that may work. They'd come to see who needed help…."

"I can't believe I'm agreeing with you," Karin frowned, glaring at Suigetsu.

"What? I can have good ideas too!"

"Really? When was the last good idea you had?"

"Well, there was when—"

"Guys?" Juugo interrupted. The two turned to look at him; he had halted, and looked unnaturally pale. "You… you might want to… to get away from me right now…."

Karin and Suigetsu glanced at one another, each of them noticing the black mark crawling up his neck.

"I… I need… to _kill!_"

"Crap!" Suigetsu yelped, grabbing his sword as Juugo lunged at Karin. "Now we have a real reason to send a flare, huh?"

Karin, pinned against a tree, was trying to reach Juugo's weapon's pouch. "Suigetsu," she rasped, "you need to get a flare… from his pouch…." Karin was then flung into the air, Juugo going up with her, as he smashed her body back to the ground.

"Who was the idiot who let Juugo carry the flares?" Suigetsu frowned, sounding annoyed and running forward with his sword to try and get to his pouch. He attempted to hit Juugo with his sword. It practically bounced right off of his skin. However, he must have felt it, as his attention shifted to Suigetsu. "C'mon, Juugo!" Suigetsu coaxed, holding out a hand. "Stop going on a killing rampage for a second…." Juugo's arm slammed into Suigetsu, but he turned into water. "Oops, you missed me!"

"Suigetsu, you idiot!" Karin yelled. "You're not supposed to make him _angrier_!"

Juugo cackled menacingly. "_Ooh_, you're gonna _die!_" As he jumped for Suigetsu, Karin snatched a flare and struggled to sit up.

"Got one!" she announced to Suigetsu.

"Well, hurry the hell up!" Suigetsu called back, doing a backwards flip to dodge his teammate's attacks.

Karin fumbled with the object a moment more before setting it off into the air.

* * *

><p>I would have simply <em>loved <em>to watch the epic reunion between Kakashi, Zabuza, and Haku, but I was occupied with my own fight. Tama seemed to go for me immediately. Everyone in front grew tense when a crystal shard appeared in her hand, but she threw it with a flick of her wrist, through a gap in the crowd of ninja. It grazed my cheek, and certainly snapped me back to reality. She jumped, soaring above the ninjas' heads, and landed right in front of me.

"What a coincidence; we're back on square one. Enemies again, huh, Natalie?" A thin sheet of crystal grew over her skin. Crystal Armor, it was called. "Friend against friend." She got into an attacking position. "Enemy against enemy." I prepared to fight her. "Riaru against Riaru." She then attacked. She was only making taijutsu moves, I noticed, but the crystal around her allowed her physical attacks to be stronger. "So then," she said calmly as she threw a punch, "how's Miki?"

_I __need __to __get __her __trapped__… __so __she__'__ll __stay __still. __I __remember __now __that __even __if __a __soul __is __sealed __in __this __situation, __it __still __goes __to __Heaven __or __Hell. _"Miki is fine. He misses you, you know."

"I know. Of course I know. Crystal Style: Crystal Prison!"

_Crap!_ I replaced myself with a log as quickly as possible. It, luckily, worked. It didn't help a few of the people around me though. They were trapped in crystal, and everyone caught was now most likely dead. I went into the ground. _Earth __Style: __Headhunter __Jutsu!_ I pulled Tama under, then popped up myself, smiling down at her head.

She smirked at me. "Idiot, I'm earth style too!" She disappeared under the ground, then sprung up, her crystallized fist connecting with my jaw. Ow.

_Fine __then!_I thought, then activated Kawarigan. I went for Kakashi. _Earth __is __weak __against __lightning, __so__…__. _My hand blazed with electricity. _Chidori!_

I charged forward, the chirping of electric birds in my ear, but she smiled, jumped backwards, and, in the air, made a few hand signs: tiger, hare, dragon…. "Wind Style: Scattering Flower Dance!" I was shoved backwards by a tornado of flower petals, and my Chidori petered out. She looked down at me, cocking her head to the side. "I can play that game too, remember?"

I frowned, breathing hard, and got to my feet. _Damn __it, _I though to myself, _I __can__'__t __stop __her __as __a __zombie__… __she__'__s __a __Riaru! __And __if __she__'__s __a __Riaru, __I __can__'__t __exactly __free __her __soul __with __Kawarigan __either__…__. __Jeez, __if __what __Tsunade __wanted __me __to __do __was __free __souls __from __Kabuto__'__s __jutsu, __then __she __should __have __put __me __in __the __long-range __division! _I glanced over at Haku and… now the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist were here. Great.

I saw Kakashi himself use Chidori, aiming for Zabuza but hitting Haku instead. Déjà vu, huh, Kakashi? However, there was a sound that made everyone pause; the sound of a flare going off. It was nearby; from behind me, actually.

"My division, go for the flare!" Sai announced, and I immediately jumped backwards into the woods with the others. Kankuro kinda _couldn__'__t_order us around, as he was back at camp with others.

"Well, that was fun," Sam commented.

I didn't reply.

Ahead, Sai stopped, and held out an arm to indicate we should stop too. The other five of us stopped on the very branch Sai was standing on. I blinked down at the scene below. "It's Hebi!" Sam exclaimed happily. It was, in fact, Hebi, excluding Sasuke. Juugo was on a rampage, and Karin seemed most hurt. Suigetsu was actually smirking as he fought, and none of the three seemed to have noticed us.

Sai whipped out a scroll and quickly painted on a few snakes. They, of course, came to life, and were sent down to restrain Juugo. Juugo struggled with the living ink; Karin and Suigetsu looked up to see us. Sam waved. Juugo, after a few seconds, began returning to his normal self. He began looking around. "Oh, I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to…!"

"Those who have Katsuyu, go down and tend to the injured," Sai ordered, and Sam and I jumped down. I was originally aiming for Suigetsu, but Sam nudged me gently in the other direction, reminding me that she did _not_want to help Karin. I sighed and shook my head, and gently placed the slug on my shoulder onto Karin, who was lying on the ground.

"A _slug?_" Karin protested, sitting up immediately and squirming, obviously trying to get it off.

"A _healing _slug," I smiled, grabbing her shoulder so she didn't fling off the Katsuyu.

"Thanks," she mumbled as the rest of my group jumped down onto the forest floor. I helped Karin to her feet.

"Weren't these people with Sasuke?" Sai inquired.

"Yes," I confirmed, looking around at the three of them.

"Are you _honestly _not trusting us?" Karin frowned. "We only _barely _escaped that stupid hideout!"

"Please, we're on your side," Juugo added.

"Yeah," Suigetsu agreed, putting his sword to rest on his shoulder, "we're not gonna try and kill you."

"I don't know if we should trust them…," Sai said slowly.

"I agree," came Omoi the Worry-Wart. "What if they're spies, or—"

"They're our friends," Sam interrupted.

"Yes, I'm sure you understand that much, Sai," I smiled. "And besides, the Allied Forces would like all the help it can get, right? Besides, Juugo's good with animals, he can send some out to search for Akatsuki cells so we can ambush them. Plus, Karin is an amazing sensor, and Suigetsu can fight when it comes down to it. They can join us."

There was a pause. "We'll take them back to camp, and Kankuro can decide," Sai said matter-of factly, and we began heading back to camp on the awesome birds we use. When we got back, however, we all knew there had been an attack. Mifune, the samurai commander of the Fifth Division, was just wrapping a body so it could be sealed. He was the only person I could even vaguely recognize, as all of the reinforcements were samurai. Even if I _had_ met one of them, all of their faces were hidden behind those gasmask-helmet-things. There were more samurai off to the left, fighting what seemed to be Lady Chiyo, Kimimaro, and a Mist ninja that I did not know the name of. I couldn't see anyone from our division, however.

Mifune spotted us, and, as if reading my thoughts, called, "The rest of your division is being tended to up ahead."

I bowed my head slightly in thanks and ran to our group with the others. I was, upon reaching them, told to use the Katsuyu again, though it was mostly a poisonous gas that had affected the group. Lady Chiyo, Kimimaro, and the other dude were eventually captured, allowing Mifune the Samurai to come over to us and inform us he would stay here with his samurai until the rest of the group was no longer paralyzed.

Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu were deemed safe, for now, by Kankuro. Juugo explained to us that, if Madara was around, they would have to pretend to be on their side, but would be sure not to hurt any of us. Kankuro agreed to this, and Mifune and Kankuro both took the three's powers into account and decided where they could best be placed.

"We already have sensors, here," said Kankuro, eyeing Karin from the ground. "You said you could heal, too?"

Karin gave a curt nod.

"You'd probably be good in the Medical Division, then…."

"I can take you to their headquarters…. And Suigetsu," said Mifune the Samurai, "you are one of the Hozuki clan, correct?"

Suigetsu straightened up slightly. "Yeah."

"Well then, you would do well in my division," Mifune the Samurai told him with a nod.

"And what about Juugo?" Karin inquired.

"Juugo can stay in my division," said Kankuro. "As Natalie suggested, he can send animals out to find other Akatsuki cells."

Juugo gave a small nod. "If… if I get out of control again… how will…?"

"We'll deal with it," Kankuro assured him.

I sighed and looked to the west, watching the sun…. I didn't like war much, not at all, but all I could do was keep going and not give up until it was over. Then Sam, Ash, Agatha, David, Sierra, Anna, and I would all be back at the Leaf. We could throw a party. People other than Riaru would come too, of course: Zetsu, Itachi, Shikamaru, Karin, Juugo, Suigetsu, and Deidara. Sasuke, too, if he was back on our side. Everything would be over. Madara would be on our side… no… dead. Madara would be dead, and Kabuto would be dead, and all of us would celebrate their deaths and the peace brought by their absences. I'd even allow Sam and the Uchihas to have chocolate. Maybe we could even give a little bit to Aishuu….

* * *

><p>Anna opened her eyes blearily; it was the middle of the night. She gazed absently at a ray of moonlight coming through a small hole in the wall of her sanctuary. It wasn't just her sanctuary, but all of the civilians', but Anna didn't mind. There were kids to play with, anyway. Plus, it was no longer just Anna that couldn't run around, as the space was limited and the children couldn't run either.<p>

_I __wonder __how __Aunt __Natalie __and __Sierra __are __doing __now? _Anna wondered, closing her eyes again. _It__'__s __their __first __night __at __war__…__. __Will __they __be __on __lookout? __Will __Sierra __still __be __healing __the __injured? __Are __they__… __are __they __all __still __alive?_ Anna frowned. _Duh, __of __course __they__'__re __alive. __And__… __what __about __Sasuke? __What __is __he __thinking __about __right __now? __He __says __he__'__s __on __Madara__'__s __side, __but__… __he __isn__'__t _really, _is __he? __That __time __when __I __went __to __the __hideout; __that __proved __to __me __he__'__s __still __himself. __What__'__s __going __on __in __his __head__…__?_

Anna turned over. "What do you think, Aishuu?" she murmured, and smiled at the soft sigh she got in response. "Oh, Aishuu… you're so cute…." Her eyes blurred from drowsiness, and her eyes began to close….

Her eyes flew open when Aishuu began to wail. All she saw, though, was a glimpse of Madara and Aishuu swirling away, Anna wanting very much to smash that stupid, swirly, orange mask.

* * *

><p>Hehe... I gave you a little bit of a cliffhanger there...<p> 


	21. Chapter 20

**Please read the message at the bottom. Thanks!**

* * *

><p>Anna reacted almost immediately, rolling over onto her back and sitting up, already activating her Kawarigan. <em>Tsunade!<em> she thought, and rolled into the portal that led her to the Hokage. "Lady Tsunade!" she gasped as she landed on the ground. "You need to—" She blinked. "Naruto? …And who are those two…?" She gasped again, catching sight of Killer B. "It's Killer Beer!"

"Killer Beer?" Naruto asked, amused.

"Yeah!" Anna confirmed, and continued, "Lady Tsunade, Aishuu was just kidnapped by Madara and now you've _gotta _let… let one of the divisions know!"

"_What?_" Tsunade barked.

"_Aishuu?_" the Raikage cried angrily."You mean the kid from both worlds or whatever? Now, Naruto, you _definitely _can't go to war!" he snarled.

"It's for this very reason I _need _to go!" Naruto cried back, and they continued to argue, exchanging blows.

Tsunade bit her lip. "I'll alert the Surprise Attack Division as soon as I can, they will be suited to sneak into the hideout and retrieve Aishuu. Until then… Anna, you have permission to go on a rescue mission."

Anna glowed at the prospect. "Oh, _thank _you Lady Tsunade!" _Sasuke!_ She thought, and regained the feeling in her legs before jumping up and diving into the portal that led to him, hearing a "Did that girl just turn into _Sasuke __Uchiha?_" from the Raikage before the portal closed up again. Her surroundings changed, and she stood before him, 'him' looking very surprised indeed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he hissed.

"Do I get that greeting every time you see me?" Anna frowned, then looked around. "Aishuu… Aishuu…. Do you, maybe, know where Aishuu is?"

Sasuke scowled, grabbed her neck, and pinned her against the wall. "You _fool_!" he reprimanded, glaring at her and slamming her against the wall a second time. "Have you really come to assume I'm on your side? How… how _childish _for you to have such _stupid _dreams!"

Tears of both physical and mental pain burned Anna's eyes. "Well," she said, "you _did _save my life."

"That was on a whim!"

"_Sure _it was…. You gave me all that information, too…. And Aunt Natalie says there's something behind what you're doing. She's right, isn't she?"

He glowered at her, but his expression softened when he realized she would not back down on that belief. He released her neck, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her along behind him without a word, not waiting for her to recover from the near strangling. "Turn completely into me," he said out of the corner of his mouth, and Anna obeyed without protest. He led her quickly through the hideout, sometimes taking sharp turns that took Anna off-guard.

"Where are we—?"

"Be quiet," he interrupted, then stopped abruptly, causing Anna to run right into him. He took no notice of this, and looked around before practically shoving Anna into an empty room. "Stay here," he whispered. "Watch what I'm doing with your Kawarigan if you deem it necessary."

She nodded silently, and watched as he walked out and closed the door behind him, leaving her in darkness. _I __can__'__t __turn __on __a __light__…__, _she thought, then fumbled with her hands to focus enough chakra to watch Sasuke through the hidden cameras. "Sasuke," she whispered, and an image appeared before her. He was walking calmly down the hall, acting as though he hadn't just seen Anna.

Anna watched quietly as he entered a room, where Madara and Kabuto were trying to find a way for Aishuu to stop crying. Or rather, just Madara. Kabuto was just kneeling on the ground, controlling his zombies while giving Madara occasional advice. Madara was attempting to play with him as he had done while they were in that clearing, but whenever Madara came close to him, he would wail even louder. Anna suppressed a giggle.

"No success, I see," Sasuke commented, raising his eyebrows.

"…I have reason to think Aishuu hates me," said Madara, getting to his feet. "Perhaps he senses his mother's hatred for me?"

"He's a baby, Madara," Sasuke frowned.

"Ah, but he is not just any ordinary baby," Kabuto pointed out. "He is a child of both worlds… and an Uchiha, and most Uchiha are either natural-born geniuses or else simply incredibly skilled."

"That is a point," Sasuke conceded. He stared down at Aishuu a moment. "Maybe you should play Peek-a-Boo with him, he used to like that. Or at least let him pull your hair. I know for a fact he likes pulling hair…."

Madara sighed, and took off his mask, giving Aishuu a reassuring smile before looking back to Sasuke. Aishuu stopped crying, and looked up at Madara in confusion. Interested, Madara placed the mask on his face. Aishuu began to cry again. He took it off. Aishuu squealed in delight.

"Maybe he just doesn't like that mask," Kabuto shrugged.

"I suppose so…."

"Aishuu," Sasuke called, and Aishuu turned to look at him. He smiled his baby smile, and began making his way towards him. "Well, he seems to remember me…."

"Yes, well, I suppose you can take him for a bit, and re-earn his trust…. And then you can get him to trust us."

"Are you honestly trying to manipulate a _baby_?" Sasuke asked skeptically as he picked Aishuu up in his arms.

"Yes… but in a much less complicated way than if I were trying to convince, say, a teenager."

"Ah," said Sasuke, raising his eyebrows further and striding from the room. "I'll be back," he said, waving his hand over his shoulder. He walked from the room, and down the hall. When he reached a corner, he took off running, back to where Anna was, a determined look in his eyes.

Anna deactivated her Kawarigan just as Sasuke burst into the room. "Take Aishuu, and get out of here," he ordered, handing Sam's child over.

Anna nodded dumbly and got to her feet.

"Alright, then…. Now, stay transformed into me until you get out of here. They can't sense you as long as you have the same chakra as I do."

Anna nodded again.

"Okay, last thing…. Don't come back here again. _Do __you __understand?_"

Anna nodded vigorously, as it looked as though Sasuke would be very angry if she didn't do as she was told.

"Good. Now, I'll take you to the exit…. I don't want you getting lost…. Let's go." He grabbed her wrist again, and Anna ran with him, ready for the sudden burst of speed this time. "Quickly," he muttered. "We have to be quick…."

They ran straight out of a different exit than before – this exit seemed more like a cave entrance. Sasuke gripped Anna's shoulders and stared straight into her eyes. "All I can say now is to run. As fast as you can. Try not to use the portals so much, they'll begin to collapse if you do…."

Anna nodded and ran, clutching Aishuu tightly. "Bye!" she called back, looking over her shoulder, but Sasuke was already gone.

* * *

><p>My division was told of Aishuu's kidnapping before the sun even began coming up, and everyone immediately began hurrying to get to the hideout, Sam being the most anxious. We had decided to go on foot, as flying would be too conspicuous, and we didn't want to be caught in another fight. Finding and rescuing Aishuu was our first priority. After a while of silent jumping, except for the occasional call to skirt a cell, Saji the Confident sensed something else entirely.<p>

"Up ahead!" Saji the Confident called, and we stopped.

"An Akatsuki cell?" Kankuro inquired, but Saji just shook his head.

Up ahead came a very tired Sasuke, clutching Aishuu in his arms.

"_Sasuke, __what __the __hell __are __you __doing __with __my __baby?_" Sam yelled, looking very much like she wanted to smash his face in.

"Oh… sorry…," he said, and slowly morphed back into Anna.

"_Anna?__" _I cried. "_What __the __hell __are __you __doing __out __here __with __her __baby?_"

My friend and I are apparently very alike….

"I was given permission by Lady Tsunade to rescue him," Anna told us, and her legs gave in. "Meh…. And guess what? _Sasuke __helped __me __save __him!_ Isn't that great, guys?"

We all glanced at one another.

"He did _what?_" Sam yelped. "Why would he do that?"

"He's still on our side, I think," Anna smiled.

Juugo shifted uncomfortably.

"Why is it I highly doubt Sasuke helped save my baby?" Sam mumbled.

"Get Aishuu back to the village," Kankuro told her.

"But I—"

"Use a portal, Aishuu is in danger if you don't get back there."

"Not to mention _you__'__d _be in danger, Anna," I pointed out.

"But I…." She stopped, then suddenly activated Kawarigan and jumped at me, pulling me into a big one-armed hug and nearly knocking me off the branch. "I love you Aunt Natalie…. Come back soon…."

"I'll definitely be back soon," I assured her. "Just you wait."

* * *

><p>"Another Akatsuki cell, up ahead!" Saji the Confident called. He scared the crap out of me, unfortunately, so I nearly tripped and fell off of the branch I was currently on.<p>

I recovered quickly, and we continued heading forward at full speed until the Akatsuki group were visible and each side stopped short to stare at the other. I could tell easily that the people in the opposing group had been stripped of their personalities. I knew so, as every single one of them was someone I recognized. There was Apple, Britt, Haru, Sarah, Mamoru, and Tama (apparently she hadn't been sealed). A collection of Riaru, I guess you could say, excluding Mackenzie, who was still stuck in Kankuro's puppet.

Every one of the zombies but Sarah, Apple, and Mamoru began transforming into someone. I saw what Kabuto was trying to do at the faces of horror the other members of my own group were making as each one transformed. Kabuto was forcing the Riaru to look into the minds of their opponents, and become the person they love most, whether dead or alive, and force that person to fight them. That's just… mean.

Apple stepped forward silently, and I eyed Kankuro worriedly as he frowned, a drop of sweat dripping down his cheek. Then, Apple sprung forward in attack, and Kankuro only twitched his fingers to stop her with a puppet just in time. The others in the Akatsuki cell must have took this as some sort of signal, as the others jumped forward to attack right after. Sarah went for Sam; Mamoru went for me. I noticed their eyes become brighter as we began to fight.

"Hi guys!" Sarah called.

"Nice to see you again," said Mamoru sadly. "If only the circumstances weren't as they are."

"Yeah, well, war sucks," I replied, dodging his punch.

"Kabuto sucks!" Sam added, flipping Sarah over her shoulder.

"You have grown," Mamoru commented, and I saw his eyes grow purple with Kawarigan. "You have mastered the art of the Riaru… and you've settled in well, though this world is not your own."

"Yeah… I guess…," I replied, flipping out a kunai as I flipped away from an attack.

"So much has changed since I last met you in reality. When I was lying, dying beside you; not as a puppet, but as a human. You found your way home…. You must be truly happy here if you came back, despite the fact your family is in the Real world."

"How do you know that?" I blinked. "How do you know I found my way back?"

He gave a small smile. "I know everything now." Our fists collided, and I jumped backwards when his arm swung for a blow to my head.

"You know everything?" I twirled my leg beneath him, hoping to trip him.

He jumped into the air, grabbed my head, and flipped me backwards. "Yes. And please… _Naomi_, don't go easy on me."

I somersaulted, flipping him over so I was on top of him, instead of vice versa. "Did I ever tell you my real name?" I asked. "And don't worry, I can just think of it as though it's one of those training sessions."

He turned into a log, and said from the branch above me, "No, you did not tell me your name, but I am well aware it is Natalie."

"Oh, alright," I said, jumping up as he jumped down.

A coffin appeared mid-air, stopping Mamoru in his tracks and taking him away. I landed on the branch he had been on a few seconds ago, confused. I looked around, the same was happening all around me. All of the zombies were being locked back in their coffins, including Mackenzie. _Kabuto__'__s __ended __the __jutsu? _I wondered. _But __why__…__?_

"Stay on your guard!" Kankuro commanded.

"Up there!" Ittan the Beard Dude exclaimed, pointing at a point of swirling air.

Madara appeared, wearing his mask. "Hello, Natalie," he greeted. There was absolutely no trace of the warmth he had used at our last meeting. "Hello, Samantha. Hello… others."

"We're people, and we have names!" Saji the Confident protested.

"What, do you expect me to ask you to introduce yourselves?"

Saji scowled, but said nothing.

"Now then, I believe it important to tell you that there is an attack on the division stationed near the northern edge of the Land of Lightning."

"Why are you telling us this?" Kankuro questioned, eyes narrowed.

"Well, I wanted to offer to bring you there. A fight is no fun if it is not a challenge, and the only way for this fight to be a challenge is if every bit of help is on your side. You'll need it, trust me."

Kankuro opened his mouth to speak, but Madara had already begun teleporting us all. I had expected to reappear in the middle of a battlefield, but we instead appeared in Madara's plain dimension of many cubes. "Where the hell are we?" Sam questioned the never-ending darkness above, but Madara was nowhere in sight, and if he _was_ there he didn't seem inclined to answer.

"We're in Madara's own dimension," I answered for her, poking the cube below me. It was smooth, cold, and hard like concrete, yet did not remind me of metal in any way… it was not metallic, is the best I can say.

"Creepy," Sam commented.

"Yes, well, I believe all we can do now… is wait," said Juugo.

"We can't just stand here, yeah!" Deidara snapped.

"It's all we can do for now, though," Kankuro sighed. "We can only be ready for when we're taken to the battle."

"But what if he doesn't? What if he just leaves us here to starve and die?" Omoi the Worry-Wart asked.

"If he doesn't come here for a long while, I'll activate my Kawarigan and create a portal out of here if I have to," I said.

With this said, we began to wait.

* * *

><p>Oh... oh no... Next week I'll be putting up the last chapter. D: Aw... And then it'll end! I don't want it to end! Of course, there's still the epilogue, which I'll put up next Thursday, but after that... the Vacation Trilogy will be over.<p>

Sad face...

Oh... well... I suppose that means I'll have to be considering what to put up next. Right? Especially since it won't be a continuation of this series anymore... I have an idea of something I may or may not be able to put up... But... I need to know something from you, the readers, first. You see, last summer I found myself with an unusually large amount of time on my hands, so I decided to start watching different animes. The first one I went to was Death Note. (Yes. I'm aware I'm a bit... a _lot _late in watching it.) I'm not sure why I chose that... I know I had been planning on Fullmetal Alchemist, since I'd already started watching it, but I guess I just wanted to try something completely new.

But anyway, my point is, after watching it, it became another major fandom of mine, and I started writing a Death Note fanfiction on the side, with me and Sam and the nieces. For fun. But it developed into an actual full-length story that's already longer than this story, so... Yeah. But my question is simple:

Do people still actually read Death Note fanfictions on here?

I wouldn't know, to be honest, because of the sad fact I'm... very late on the uptake. So, I'll only put it up if more than one of you tell me you're interested. If not, I'll figure something else out... I do have a few other Naruto things, but they're in the early stages, and something tells me they might not be finished...

Eh, sorry for the long message. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :D Have a nice day!


	22. Chapter 21

Ah... the final chapter. Here are the replies to the reviews I forgot to reply to last week, by the way...

**Silver 1412**: Yep. Aishuu's been caught. Although, since you're on this chapter, he technically isn't anymore... As for my updates, I just try to update regularily: once a week. That's all...

**Britt3899**: Merry Thanksgiving to you too! And yeah... Madara can be a meanie... Stealing babies? Who does that?

So yeah... Behold: the end. ...Why do all of my stories end in s battle of some sort?

* * *

><p>I wasn't too sure how long we were there; it was impossible to tell. Sam took to pacing, while I sat on a cube, on alert and ready to jump to my feet when necessary. I sat there for awhile, gazing at some point in the distance and doing my best to daydream. For some odd reason, I couldn't get the image of hula dancing characters out of my head. The image eventually evolved; Sam, Sarah, and I were at an anime con…. We were all dressed up – me Sasuke, Sarah Hidan, and Sam Itachi. Sam was complaining about an annoying pointy rock in her shoe…. Then the scene changed, and Sierra, Anna, and I were having a pool party. Suigetsu was swimming around in a large pool – I believe we were at my Aunt Kris's house, or else someplace completely made up – and he was only partially solid. We were all enjoying ourselves…. Sam was laughing and teasing me about the fact that a lot of the character's shirts were off, and I swear that, in the crowd, I saw friends that I couldn't celebrate with in reality. Apple, Britt, Mackenzie, Sarah, Haru…. The scene switched again, and now I was staring in vivid detail at a medical tent. My sight changed to view the inside, finding Karin at work. She didn't look entirely happy, washing her hands vigorously with a scowl on her face. A shadow appeared behind her, and she asked without looking, "Do you need any help?"<p>

"No," Neji replied. "I just wanted to let you know that you may want to be aware that there's a murderer in our camps."

"Oh. Right. Thanks," Karin replied, wiping her hands on a towel.

"You might want to be especially cautious," Neji continued, "because… the murderer is right behind you."

"What?" Karin asked, turning around just as Neji whipped out his kunai and slashed at her chest. She screamed, but of course Neji silenced her before she called attention to them. I stared in horror at the blossom of blood spread across her shirt, dripping down her neck and onto the floor, slowly creating a small pool of liquid crimson, the scent of iron in the air….

I snapped to reality, to find I was still sitting on the floor, still poised to jump up when it was time. I gulped. I had reached into the sights of a camera again, hadn't I? I'd looked into the past, _hadn__'__t _I? _Joy!_ I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly feeling dry. _But __wait, _I thought, _if __that __actually __happened, __then __that __means __the __Zetsu __clones __are __on __the __loose! __They __weren__'__t __demolished__… __Anna__'__s __information __was __wrong!_

I gasped and jumped to my feet, but before I could voice my opinion, Madara was swirling back, probably to get us. There was one thing I noticed when I saw him, though: his mask was not on. "Natalie," he said seriously, yet with a touch of kindness (genuine or faked), taking a step towards me. He was cut off, as Saji the Confident had pounced at him, feet-first.

He caught the kick with his hands, scowling. "Good-bye again, Natalie. I apologize for not explaining what I am about to do." He put the mask back on, grabbed Saji by the wrist, and swiftly broke his arms, flinging him to the side. Saji the Possibly-Confident-But-Now-In-Pain was gasping in pain as he staggered back to the group. I was expecting Madara to leave, but he didn't. He just stood there, staring at the people around him as if daring them to attack him.

_Is __that __what __he __means __by __goodbye? _I thought in realization. _Is __when __he __bids __me __farewell__… __when __he __returns __to __his __normal, __bloodthirsty __self? __And __his __mask__… __when __he __puts __it __on, __it __must __signal __he__'__s __evil. __And __when __it__'__s __off__… __it __represents __the __short __period __of __time __where __he __was __good! __Is __that __it? __Is __that __why __he __said __we __probably __wouldn__'__t __meet __again __when __he __left __the __village? __Is __that __why __he __called __our __dance __our__ '__last __dance?__' __Is __it __that __he __knew __he __would __eventually __have __to __leave __his __good __self __behind?_

_Does __he _regret _leaving __his __good __self __behind?_

"Madara!" I called, and he glared at me with his glowing red eye that shone through the hole in that well-known swirly, orange mask. "Why did you give away your only chance at being saved from yourself? Can you answer that?"

Sam gave me an exasperated look that obviously said, 'You can't _trust _him Natalie! Give it up already!'

"You once called me a fool," Madara replied in a bitter tone, "and yet you, yourself, have been foolish. You try to save any person you think had the right to be saved. You think that they're merely corrupted. You think that they're lost, and need to be found." I frowned. Yes, that was correct. "You, Natalie, have forgotten something. You've forgotten the existence in one important factor in life: choice. You have refused to acknowledge the mere _idea _that people have chosen to walk the path I stride upon. Well, listen to this, _Natalie_.

"I _choose _to be the way I am. Life has choices, Natalie, and the reason I don't follow your ideas is because I _choose _not to. I _chose _to kill. I _like _the power, Natalie. I feel authority in controlling those below me, and most people I see are as insignificant as a _worm_. _All_ of you people are fools, you think you can achieve the stupid belief called _peace_. That can only be attained if you are controlled, _restrained _from your fighting. The human race never learns; they always start new wars, forge new enemies, and they kill more and more of their own kind. They _kill, _Natalie. Humans _kill_. You have killed in your life, now, too, haven't you? Anyone who has opposed you? You've killed people. I've killed people. _Everyone __here _has killed people. You cannot hate me for killing people, as you, too, have chosen to _kill._ We all choose things. You just don't understand that us _'__bad __guys__' _have just as much choice as you do!"

I was taken aback at his little speech there. I'd never really thought of it in that perspective. It was true, though. Madara was an 'ultimate bad guy' because he _chose _his ways. Sasuke was corrupted and just lost, but Kabuto and Madara chose this without regret – of their own accord, without much guidance.

"I'm guessing you're ready to fight now," Madara told us, and began to swirl us away.

I landed on what seemed to be trembling ground; Deidara immediately let out a bird made it grow to an enormous size, and then hopped on. "Get on!" he shouted at me and Sam, and we obeyed immediately. We soared into the air; I looked down at the people below us. The carnage. The blood. The screams and the pain and the anger…. I decided to look up again, and found the sky to be blood-red. It was sunset, but the clouds and the smoke from the fires reflected the sunlight in a blocked-off sort of way that made everything look crimson. I saw a fire burning off in the distance. I saw a red-tinged lake nearby. I saw a shinobi get struck down by a relentless zombie. I looked away.

Deidara began sending down bombs, being careful to make sure he was hitting the enemies, and not our allies. Because of the fact our side was in combat with Madara's side, he could only use low-level bombs, so as not to severely injure anyone in the Allied Shinobi Forces. "Use your Kawarigan, yeah!" he told us, looking over his shoulder at us. "You're up high, away from attack, so you can sit still and deactivate those fucking zombies! I can make sure to keep us away from attacks from below!"

"Okay!" I called back over the sound of the wind, and activated my Kawarigan, as did Sam. I began going to zombies and deactivating the jutsu on them, one by one. It was tedious and tiring work, but the Katsuyu kept feeding me chakra. I continuously switched off the life in them. Over and over. Again and again. I had to watch every one of them drop to the ground, dead yet again. I deactivated Yasuko. I deactivated a Raikage. I deactivated Yoshiaki. I deactivated the original five-tailed jinjuriki. I deactivated Hidan. I deactivated Katsu. I deactivated Kakuzu, and Konan, and Nagato.

"There are too many!" Sam cried.

Deidara's expression was hard. "Where the _hell _is Kabuto, hm?"

"Uh, er, just a sec." I looked up Kabuto. "He's sitting in the forest… controlling his zombies…."

"Got it." He took a sudden dip to the left as I returned to my physical being. I watched in awe as a fireball jutsu shot up where we would be had he not turned. "Create a portal for me to where he is," he said in a determined sort of voice.

"Why?" I asked, very serious.

"Just get me there!" he snapped. I hurriedly created a portal to where Kabuto was. We flew right through, and landed on the forest floor.

"Hm?" Kabuto asked, then eyed Sam and I cautiously. "Oh… hello there…. How's the war?"

Deidara scowled. "Now, Natalie… Sam… get the _hell_ out of here."

"Why?" I asked again, an edge of worry to my tone. I had a little bit of an idea what he was going to do.

"Get as far away from this place as possible. _Now_."

"What are you going to do?" I demanded.

"Just get out of here!" he ordered, but I didn't budge. He scowled, stalked forward, and kissed me. A forceful sort of kiss, but a kiss nonetheless. "I _suck _at fucking romantic crap!"

Sam tried very hard not to laugh.

"Oh, how touching," Kabuto commented.

"You, shut the hell up," Deidara told him. "And _you_, Natalie, leave. Now."

"But—"

"_Now._"

Fully understanding what he was going to do, I grabbed Sam by the wrist, created a portal to Juugo, and pulled her forward, casting one last regretful glance behind.

We landed at Juugo's feet. "Oh, this isn't good," he was muttering to himself, fighting a zombie. "This is _not __good__…__._"

"What was that about?" Sam hissed.

I gulped. "Kabuto's gonna die. Deidara's gonna kill him."

"Really? That's great!" Sam replied.

"Deidara's gonna explode, Sam. Deidara's gonna die, too."

"Oh…."

"Kabuto's gonna die?" asked a Britt fighting Juugo. "Sweet! That freakin' dumb nerd killed me, the bastard! And _then _he's got the nerve to bring me back to life!"

Everything suddenly lit up from behind me. I looked back… to see a blinding explosion. My eyes were tearing up, and it wasn't just because of the blinding light that seemed to pulsate with energy.

"Fuck."

I looked to Sam. "What?" I asked, still sitting on the slippery, blood-soaked grass. Sam was standing, watchful of anything that could hurt us.

"Look," she said, pointing at Britt. "They're not dropping dead."

I gasped. "The Impure World Resurrection doesn't stop even if the user is killed…. Oh, crap, crap, _crap!_" _Deidara __just __died __for __nothing__…__, _I thought, but did not speak it aloud. That very fact made me kinda sick to my stomach, especially the fact that _I __could __have __prevented __it._

"_Oh __my __god!_" Sam cried as she was pounced on by some dude. "Flarp, I can't take on a kage!" Sam cried at the realization that she was, in fact, fighting a kage. I got up to try and help her, a new sort of feeling. I was in one of those moods where I'd gladly slit the throat of my enemies. Of course, it would be smartest to Kawarigan the kage and deactivate the jutsu, so that's what I began to do….

…But Haru stopped me by attacking me from behind. I kicked her and tried to throw her off, but to no avail. "Sorry Natalie," she said, "but even though we're on autopilot, we're still basically _designed _to attack you…."

"That's… just… fucking… _fine!_" I yelped, and threw her off, flipping out a kunai.

Sam, meanwhile, had also been caught off-guard, and by a kage on top of that. Therefore, it's easy to tell why she was losing. It was a Raikage. And this Raikage was using a very dangerous technique. And this dangerous technique would probably _kill _Sam if it hit her. _I__'__m __gonna __die. __I__'__m __gonna __die. __I__'__m __gonna __die_, she thought over and over in her head. _Ohhh __crap. __I __am __going __to _die!

The attack came, and she shut her eyes tight, waiting for the electric attack to pierce her. She opened her eyes hesitantly when she found nothing had happened for a few seconds time. For a moment, she half-expected Itachi to be there, her savior, standing in front of her to protect her with his life.

But no.

"_Sasuke!_" Sam yelped, staring at him in utter disbelief. All of her current doubts of whether or not he was still a good guy dissipated. It was at this time that I was finally able to deactivate the jutsu on the kage, but I wasn't exactly in time for Sasuke, now, was I? "Sasuke, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I just… saved your life, idiot," he said in a pained sort of voice.

Sam couldn't help but run through the fact that she'd been in this very position before… only Itachi was the one standing in front of her, and Kabuto had attacked. "Sasuke, you boofhead, you better not fucking die too!" Sam cried.

"I'm fine," he choked out. "Just make sure you be careful…. You nearly died there."

"You asshole, I was trying my best!"

"Then try… harder. Let me tell you something, Sam. I never left your side. I just want you to know that." He smiled. "You… you were something, back then, that allowed me to stay at the Leaf. You – and my brother, of course – were the thing that held me back from leaving again. I just want… to say thanks for that. Because of Itachi, and Naruto, and Sakura, and _you _Sam, I was on my way to being who I should be."

"Stop giving sappy speeches; it makes it sound like you're gonna die!"

"I'm not gonna—" He was cut off as multiple kunai hit him across the chest. He ripped one out, hissing in pain, took what was supposed to be a threatening step forward, then collapsed face-forward, unmoving. Sam stared down at him, unsure of what to do.

"Sam!" I called from my place against Haru.

"We're going to find Itachi!" she replied, fighting her way towards me.

"Um… alright," I agreed, hit painfully by the fact my own husband was already gone. (…It's _still _weird calling him that.)

So, we fought our way through the zombies and – soon – Zetsu clones, deactivating as many zombies as we could as we passed. …Which was really hard, considering when you did that, you had to let your legs run on autopilot. In fact, Sam was the one making sure I didn't get attacked and didn't stop. I noticed my energy suddenly plummet, and I looked around in surprise. Sure, I knew I was using a lot of chakra, but the Katsuyu was supplying me with more. "Katsuyu," I began, but the Katsuyu replied before I could even ask my question.

"Lady Tsunade is dead," the slug replied, sounding fretful and slightly panicked. "Lady Tsunade is dead."

"What?" Sam yelped, kicking someone in the stomach.

I frowned. "We don't have time to ask questions…. I guess we just need to fight our way through this."

"Great…," Sam muttered in reply.

"I'm sorry, terribly sorry," said the Katsuyu before poofing away.

We fought our way through the crowd, hoping to find someone – _alive_– that we knew. "Crap, crap, crap, crap, _crap!_" Someone moaned, and I was happy to find Sierra kneeling over what seemed to be a dead body. …Well, I wasn't happy about the dead person part, just the fact we'd found my niece. "Natalie!" she greeted once she saw me. "Sam!"

"Sierra!" Sam and I called back, rushing forward to meet her.

"There are so many people dying right in front of me…," she told us. "It makes me feel kinda sick and guilty… as though it's my fault they died… because I didn't get to them fast enough."

"Don't think like that!" Sam replied. "Right now we need to be focused on staying alive. People are dying; we get that. Deidara's dead; Sasuke's dead; Tsunade's dead…."

"Deidara and Sasuke are _dead_?" Sierra cried. "Oh no…. That's what that explosion was…."

"And Kabuto's dead," I said weakly, "but the zombies aren't gone, so…."

"Oh…."

"War sucks," Sam grumbled.

"And that's why we're looking for friends right now," I added. "So we can stick together and make sure no one else dies."

Sierra nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense…. I think I know where Itachi is," she informed us, then grabbed my arm and pulled me forward, back into the dense crowd. I pulled Sam along, as well. "I'm pretty sure he's in an epic battle with Madara right now," said Sierra as she led us along.

"Oh God," Sam said.

"And where is _Naruto _in all this?" Sierra sighed.

"Well, he hasn't gone hero yet and saved the world, that's for sure," Sam muttered.

"And, since Tsunade just died, my guess is he just watched her die and is fired up to kill whoever killed her," I frowned. "Which means he won't be here for a while…."

"Why can't he just save the day already?" Sam cried. "I don't want Itachi to die _again_!"

"Me, neither," Sierra agreed, while I just nodded.

I was honestly surprised when we came to a sudden opening in the crowd. Once I saw what was in this area, though, I understood why people steered clear of it. "Well," I pointed out, "we found Itachi."

"And Madara," Sam scowled, then ran towards the battling pair without another word.

"Wait!" I called, but, knowing she wouldn't listen, Sierra and I were forced to run after her. "Sam!"

Madara and Itachi had been fighting for hours now. The area around them was ravaged with still-burning Ameterasu, blood, and overturned earth. Itachi was wielding a sword I was not aware he still owned, and Madara was holding forward a very pointy object. They were slowly circling one another, when unexpectedly they clashed again. Madara struck, but missed, and Itachi grabbed his arm, flipped over him, and tried to fireball him from behind. The fireball went through the man with that stupid mask, at which they began attacking one another with taijutsu or with each of their respective pointy objects. Itachi dodged, Madara dodged and disappeared – it was a pretty even battle for the most part. But.

Madara was a man of the darkness. He embraced the darkness, and reveled in it willingly. He lived within it, fed off of it, and _used _it. He was the host, leading people to the darkness and tainting them with it. Itachi was a ray of light living _among_ darkness. He was a pure ray that shone brightly in the darkness's inky blackness. But Itachi lived among the darkness willingly, allowing himself to embrace it to help others. His purity was tainted, yes, by the darkness he danced with. Now, when these two men clashed, one can imagine the consequences. It is not like if Madara were to confront Naruto. Naruto is pure light, and he would overcome the darkness, and defeat Madara. But Itachi, however, is not pure light. He was tainted, and is no longer pure. Madara was pure darkness, and therefore is more powerful, whether good or evil. Itachi, being touched with that dark poison, could not defeat Madara… but he could take Madara down with him. One last attack was all it took. They jumped forward simultaneously, both aiming for the killing blow.

Both of them succeeded.

The two stood there, stiff and unmoving, for a few long, unbearable moments. Somewhere far beyond them, a fire sprung up, allowing their silhouettes to stand out in the blood-red background. Then, they both collapsed at the same moment, their hands loosening the grip on their weapons. Their battle was over.

"_Itachi!_" Sam screamed, scrambling forward to reach him. She kneeled beside him, tears flowing freely, as she called his name repeatedly, as though in hopes of calling him back to them. This time, though, Itachi was gone for good.

Sierra and I stood by, gazing at Sam and Itachi in sadness. Sierra was crying, too. I don't know why I didn't cry. Maybe all the sad crap that had happened had made me stronger. Allowed me to hold it back; hold it back until I would finally just let it go. Let it go…. And you know what's sad? Not even _I_ felt even the smallest pang of sympathy for Madara. None at all.

"_Why?_" I whispered, my voice sounding hoarse. I placed my hand on one of my more serious injuries, I was feeling a little bit light-headed from the loss of blood.

"We have no choice, my dear," came another hoarse voice to the left of me.

My eyes flitted to Madara. He wasn't dead yet? Such a shame.

I could see his forehead, and one of his eyes was visible – his mask was crumbling, slowly but surely. Soon I could see half of the smile on his face. Or perhaps it was a smirk? But no, I could tell by the look in his eye. His lips thinned as he pulled the sword out of his chest and rolled over onto his back. "We have no choice in this world. No choice at all."

"Are you bipolar?" The words were out of my mouth before I quite knew what I was going to say.

He chuckled. "Perhaps, if that is your way of thinking. Now, look at me. I'm dying. So is Itachi, if he isn't already dead." I was still vaguely aware of Sam's sobbing, but at the moment it seemed almost like background noise, along with the sound of explosions and the crackling of fire and the cries of pain. "We were doomed to be enemies from the start, Natalie. You and I. Me and him. In this world, it's almost as though some humans are made to create conflict, while others try to erase it. There are builders, and there are breakers. Breakers of the circle of hatred. I'm a builder, Natalie. I don't have a choice in that. It just… _is_. From the beginning, Natalie, you and I were meant to fight with one another. You and I, me and Itachi, Kabuto and you, whatever. Whether I love you or not, look. Just look at this scene. Look at…. Look at…."

He was trying to speak, I could see that, but he seemed to have lost his voice right then. His eyes grew dull, but he continued to breathe. He continued to live. For now. Itachi had not struck the heart, exactly, but judging by how much blood coated the grass around him, there was no saving him now, anyway.

I was pulled back to my friends, and their reality. Itachi was dead, Madara was meaningless, and all Sam wanted was for Itachi to be alive and okay. Alive and injured, even, as long as he'd be alright in the long run. "Sam…. Sam, it's okay," said Sierra. "I can make him better. I can heal him. I can heal him, Sam."

"He-he's _dead!_" Sam sobbed.

"No, look. I can save him. I _will _save him. I can do it. I know I can. I can heal people. I can save Itachi."

Sam's sobs were cut off, and Sierra crouched down and turned Itachi onto his back, gently pulling the weapon out of his chest. "No, Sierra," I said, suddenly realizing what she was going to do. "No, Sierra," I repeated, an edge of panic growing in my voice.

"I've always wanted to die while saving someone's life," Sierra said softly. She gave a small glance at Madara, a sad sort of glance, but just went right on to Itachi. She had more of a chance for saving Madara, but all she spared was a glance. Was that all he was worth now? Sierra activated her Kawarigan.

"Please, Sierra, stop it!" I cried, while Sam's tear-filled eyes gazed at my niece in confusion.

I began to remember things right then. All of the deaths. Mackenzie, hospitalized because of a tampered-with glider; not an accident after all – at least her death had more meaning. Britt, gripped by a sickness Kabuto had created, and couldn't break hold of it. Haru, literally squeezed to death by Kabuto's _stupid _pet snake. Apple, strangled with the torn throat of the girl her soul was bound to. Sarah, ambushed by a rock and crushed so that her last breath was forced out of her. Deidara, dying and bringing Kabuto down with him, though it was all in vain. Tsunade, ambushed by thousands of Zetsu clones at once. Itachi, killed in battle by Madara. Suigetsu – I was looking through cameras now – killed off by his own brother. Ashlie, ironically killed by a Zetsu clone. Agatha, though stronger as Muse, picked off by a group of kage, despite Shikamaru trying to save her.

Sierra, giving her life to Itachi so that she could revive him.

My jaw was aching, and tears were burning in my eyes. I blinked them away, but found that that released them – I was surprised they had built up like that. And then they just flowed. Let it go. Let it go….

"_Samantha,_" Itachi rasped as I slowly sunk to my knees beside my niece.

"Itachi," Sam whispered in response, smiling through her tears.

"Samantha… I can't move my body. I'm fading…. I'm leaving…."

"No, no…. Sierra just saved you!" Sam protested.

"And died in the process," I murmured, unable to take my eyes away from my niece's relaxed, free-of-stress face.

"She… did not have enough energy. She brought me back, but I can't stay long…. I need to leave again."

"No, _please _don't go…."

Itachi gazed at the blood that had blossomed on his chest, and he smiled and looked back up at Sam. "A rose, Samantha. A rose over my heart in my farewell to you. A rose for my rose…. My dear little rose…."

"Oh, please no, Itachi," Sam whimpered. "Don't die…. _Please _don't die…."

"Don't think of death as a bad thing. I'm only leaving. Going out a door that I can't go back through."

"Don't go through that door, Itachi…."

"I'm leaving, Samantha…. It's time for me to rest…. It's nothing to cry about…."

"No! You've been through so much…. And you've survived it all…. You can't die now!"

"Goodbye, Samantha…." His eyes lost focus, then slowly closed.

_I __can__'__t __believe __it_, I thought. _Everyone __is __dying. __Every. __Fucking. __One.__ …__I __can__'__t __let __it __happen. __No __more. __No __more __people __dying. __I __have __to__… __I __have __to __stop __the __zombies, __at __least!__ I __swore __I__'__d __never __do __this __again, __but__…__._

I activated my Kawarigan, and went into Madara's mind, found Kabuto's lost soul, and made the switch. Madara's eyes opened wide, as did his mouth in an empty scream as his soul left his body. His body convulsed as Kabuto's entered, and the body began to writhe and scream in agony, trying to reject the soul that wasn't his. Then, relaxation. The eyes came into focus, and began to look around wildly.

"Kabuto," I said. Sam was ignoring me at the moment. She was momentarily caught in her own grief.

"Natalie…. I'm alive. I'm _alive._ I'm out. I'm out! _I__'__m __out!_" He let out a nice, long, slightly hysterical laugh. "What'd you call me here for, huh? What is it you want? You want me to call off the zombies? Or is it something else? How long has it been since I died, anyway? A day? A month? _Ten __years?_"

"Kabuto, release your jutsu on the zombies," I ordered in a low voice.

He lifted his head slightly, but did not move anything else, though this caused the mask to crumble a little bit more. "You think I'll listen? You think you can tell me what to do?"

I frowned, and went into Kabuto's mind, controlling his actions to make him release the jutsu. Once he was done, he was breathing hard. "This body is spent," he said. "Whosever body this is is gonna be done with soon!" He began to laugh again, but he was cut off as the soul departed again.

I waited, eyes narrowed, for Madara's soul to come back. The body gave its soundless scream, then suddenly the head dropped and the jaw went slack. Madara Uchiha was dead. For good this time.

But something was clouding my vision. A bright void of… white. _Oh __God, _I thought, _is __this __the __light?_ But no. I found something else to see. Madara, standing before me in this white void. It was completely soundless in this new world, and it was weird. The silence was… deafening. That's the only way I can describe it.

"I don't hate you."

Though he had whispered those words, they sounded so loud and out of place in this endless silence. But then the sound died again. Once he was done speaking, it died. It was cut off. It was silenced.

"Tell me then… if you don't believe me, then how is this worth anything?" he asked.

"What?" I asked, and I was surprised at how low I was speaking. I guess I just felt I wasn't supposed to break the silence. That I was supposed to be as quiet as possible. "Believe what?" I asked, adding a little bit of strength to my voice.

"Maybe it was only because of the Land of Waves," he said, "but, as I've told you time and time again, I still love you. It does not matter whether you believe me or not, as I'll be leaving soon. I was only permitted to bid you farewell."

I frowned, then decidedly put my right hand on his shoulder. "I don't hate you either, Madara. All I wanted was to save you, you know. But you rejected that."

He put his right – my left – hand on my shoulder so that it was almost like we were making a little square. "And I love you, but we lived entirely different lives. We walked on different paths that only crossed in battle. And I'm sorry for that. And now, Natalie, I won't be able to love you anymore. I'm leaving. And I have to go." He smiled, and I swear I saw a tear glisten in his eye before his legs began blowing away like sand on an invisible wind. "Goodbye, Natalie. Goodbye for good." And then he had blown away, and I was left grasping at nothing but air.

There was a pulling sensation, and I found myself being shaken awake by none other than Sam, who sighed in relief when I opened my eyes. "I thought you were dead, too, Natalie!" she cried.

I got to my feet, but had to use Sam to steady myself. I was incredibly light-headed. I saw the supposed stars playing across my sight – fireflies – but I blinked them away. And I was tired. So _very _tired. "It's just you and me again, isn't it?" I asked softly. "Just you and me…. Like the beginning." _Yes. __The __beginning. __When __it __was __just __me __and __Sam __waking __up __in __an __unfamiliar __clearing. __Alone._

"Yeah… like the beginning," she agreed. "We should go to the woods over there…. The Zetsu clones are allowing one last violent wave before they retreat too…."

"Yes. Let's go to the woods." Sam got to her feet, and Sam put her arm around me, as I put my arm around her, so we could support one another. Sam looked tired too. I realized now that I had blood all over me. My own blood, some of it, that had come from that big wound I had tried to slow the bleeding of earlier. It hadn't worked, apparently. The taste of iron was in my mouth, and I vaguely wondered why before spitting into my hand to find my saliva was bloody. The blood that coated me made me feel wet and warm and sticky, but I didn't mind. It was almost a comfortable sort of feeling. A cozy sort of feeling. All I'd have to do is curl into a bed and sleep. Sleep… and dream…. Beautiful dreams. Where it wasn't the beginning anymore, nor was it the end.

_Is __this __the __end? _I wondered. _Is __it?_

Sam and I eventually reached the woods, trudging forward. We walked and we walked…. Sure, I was tired, but I was okay with walking, too. As long as I kept doing it, it was fine. Just walk and walk and walk…. Almost rhythmic, it seemed, despite the throbbing in the wound in my side and the way it hurt with every left step I took. I didn't even mind the pain, actually. It seemed dull, almost like I was going numb. "Can we… take a break?" asked Sam, and she immediately plopped onto the ground without waiting for an answer.

I also collapsed, then crawled over to the moss, where it was comfy. Sam followed my lead, and leaned against a tree beside me. "Hey, Sam…," I said, my voice tired, and sticky – like I had just eaten or there was phlegm in my throat. I knew it was the blood though, somewhere in the back of my mind. I cleared my throat anyway out of habit, and continued. "I'm so tired…. Are you tired, Sam?"

"Yeah…," she responded. "We're back at the beginning now. We're alone again."

"No," I disagreed. "No, this isn't the beginning. This… this is the end, Sam. We've just come full circle, that's all."

"The end…," she breathed.

"You know…" I whispered, "I don't think I'd mind dying."

"You know what?" Sam replied. "Me neither…."

There was a pause. "We're dying, aren't we, Sam?" I murmured.

Another pause. "Yeah. I think we are."

My lips formed into a smile. "Shall we leave then?" I asked softly.

"Together?" she responded in the same soft voice.

"Together," I confirmed, clasping her hand in my own.

"On three then…," I smiled, the blackness rimming my sight, and numbness creeping into my body. I remembered reading somewhere that the numbness was death in disguise, but I couldn't remember _where_. I couldn't remember much. My mind was so foggy. I wanted to sleep. I was ready to leave. With Sam. Together. "One…." _Best __friends __to __the __end, __huh? _I couldn't help but think. I heard shouting. People were looking through the woods for survivors. "Two…." My vision was growing cloudy, and I could barely control my own body. It was an odd sensation, almost as though you were in that state of being half-asleep, and you weren't fully aware of what you were doing. I could see feet stopping in front of us. We were found. I could hear them discussing how we needed to be treated. We were loosing too much blood. We were leaving…. I was content, though, and through the fog, and numbness, I was able to give Sam a small squeeze with my hand and uttered my final word: "Three." And then I left. The blackness and numbness engulfed me. I let it go. Let it go….

And so suddenly I gasped. I was awake again; wide awake and feeling so energetic and so… so _alive_. I stood up. I looked at the people around me. They were still talking, but I couldn't hear them. I didn't care to, anyway. I felt so elated, I felt as if I could _fly_. And so, I jumped, and began to soar. Soar and soar and _soar_. I saw the battlefield below me. The carnage. The aftermath. The people carrying their dead away so they could be buried, if their remains were not too mutilated. And then, I couldn't see it anymore. I couldn't see anything. Nothing at all. And then I felt gravity hit. I felt cold. I was somewhere cold.

I got to my feet. I was standing on glowing white ground – or, at least, at _appeared _to be glowing – and before me was what looked to be a glowing white bridge over an endless void of darkness. I somehow knew I'd have to walk down this white path. I took a step forward, then another. Another. Then I heard it, and it struck me like a physical blow. Down in the darkness, I heard moans of pain, screams of agony, and sounds of all around not-too-happy-ness.

Eyes widened in fear, I stiffened and was more careful to stay on the white path, staring straight ahead. It was such a small path, though…. What if I slipped? And then I recognized a voice, hiding in that darkness. It was Madara.

I later learned that he had been taken to the place _down __there_. He was literally in Hell, stripped of his being and sucked clean of all hope. Wasn't it he, though, who said hope was foolish? He no longer loved me, for I learned it was the truth he told, and he no longer cared. He never wanted to kill Aishuu, nor me, but now that was gone, too. He was a shell of who he used to be, there, and he was isolated and alone. Always alone; for all of eternity and beyond. Sure, I felt my sympathy for him, but I suppose it was the right choice in the long run. After all, the only reason he had strayed onto this path of light was because I had brought him to it with Kawarigan, and that's hardly a true change of heart.

Not daring to look down, I continued forward. The path soon opened up, and I sighed in relief, and walked forward, into the light. I could see them waiting now…. There was Deidara and Sierra and Itachi and Britt and Apple and Haru and Agatha and Ashlie and Kisame and Sarah and Hidan and Mamoru and Tama and Katsu and Sam was beside me then and… and….

_I __was __home_.

My journey had reached an end.

My story is over.

This is the end.

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><p>...And everybody died. The end. D: Well... that was it... the last chapter... The epilogue comes out tomorrow... Review, please?<p> 


	23. Epilogue

*sigh*... This is truly the end, now. The epilogue. After this... it's officially over... And now I'm depressed... But anyway... here are the replies to the reviews from the last chapter.

**Silver 1412**: Sorry about the crying part... but I'm glad you liked this story as a whole anyway... Although, at first there was a bit of Mary Sue-ness. You know... in the first book, Extended Vacation. Then my skills got a little bit better as time went on. And now, I can almost say this story is decent. I'm pretty happy with the ending too... though it _is _depressing...

**Britt3899**: Yay! Ding, dong, the snake is dead! :D Kabuto is gone for good! Huzzah!

So... yeah... If my computer won't let me reply to the reviews for the epilogue, then I guess I'll just put the replies up next Wednesday... Yeah, that sounds good. Enjoy the epilogue!

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><p>Epilogue<p>

He feels an odd sensation of being picked up, then carried. His eyes open, confused and dull. _No_, he thinks, _I__'__m __supposed __to __be __dead__…__. __Why __do __I __still __hurt? __What__'__s __going __on? _He realizes he is, in fact, being carried, and is immediately hit with a wave of energy. "Stop it!" he screams, and begins to struggle. "Stop it, I'm supposed to be dead! Let me die! Let me _die_!"

"Sasuke, stop it…. Oh, please stop, you know we'll forgive you…," coaxes Sakura, trying to comfort him, pushing the hair out of his eyes and wiping the blood off his face as he's taken back. Back to the village. Back home.

"I should die!" he protests, writhing and squirming in an attempt to be released. "Let me go! I _want _to die! Leave me here to _die!_"

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," murmurs Sakura's voice as a needle is injected into Sasuke's arm. Everything goes black.

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><p>When Sasuke wakes, and opens his eyes, things remain dark. Slightly panicked, he puts his hands to his eyes. He finds a bandage covering them, and he sits up abruptly, ignoring the pain in his chest. "What is this?" he practically screams. "<em>What <em>_is __this?_"

"Sasuke, calm down," came Sakura's voice. "We transplanted your eyes while you were out. We had to, Sasuke, I'm sorry…. You wouldn't have lived very long without them, and we all knew you'd protest."

Surprisingly enough, Sasuke did not argue, but simply asked in a flat tone, "Whose eyes are these?"

It took a moment for Sakura to answer. Then, "They're Itachi's."

_As __I __thought, _thinks Sasuke as he falls back onto the bed, staring at the darkness the cloth gives him. He feels so defeated. _What __is __left? _he wonders. _What __is __left?_

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><p>There is a day of mourning for everyone lost in battle. Some are in coffins, their bodies cleaned up so the children won't have to look at all the blood. Most are not in coffins, as their bodies were not intact. Their families would have to mourn without the body, but that was alright. This was a world of ninja, where people risk their lives every single day. Death is expected, especially in war. But still, for every person, it seems as though it came unexpectedly. 'I knew it would happen, just not to him (or her),' is the general idea of many of their thoughts.<p>

Sasuke and Anna are standing beside one another, in mutual silence. Anna is standing, yes, using Sasuke's legs with Kawarigan. She wants to see our faces one last time. She is holding Aishuu and murmuring, "You told me you wouldn't die, Sierra…. Aunt Natalie, you said you'd come back…." Her eyes travel from her sister's face to my own, and she smiles through her tears when she sees I am smiling. Still smiling.

Sasuke is gazing down at Sam's body with sorrow. His bandages are off; he couldn't stand to leave them on. Not for this. Though the people cleaned up the blood, Sam's lips have a slight tint of blue to them. He leans down, and kisses her one last time. Her lips are cold. They do not kiss back. They never did. Not even when she told him she was moving on. When they believed Itachi to be dead. She never loved him like she did Itachi. He pulls back, then murmurs, "You never gave me a kiss goodbye."

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><p>"Uncle Sasuke, I have a question. An <em>important <em>question," says Aishuu. He is five now, and already progressing fast in school. He was, indeed, very powerful, along with being a genius. He black hair is short and messy, and his grey eyes are wide like a child's. Untainted. Pure.

"And what's that?" asks Sasuke. Twenty years old.

Aishuu purses his lips, thinking of how he should word this. Sasuke waits patiently, as does Anna. Auntie Anna, Aishuu calls her. The three of them sit – actually, Sasuke is standing – in the house they all share in the village that is slowly rebuilding itself. No, Anna and Sasuke are not married, but they are very close. Very close indeed. "Who am I?" asks Aishuu.

"You're _Aishuu,_ silly," replies Anna, in her wheelchair. "Aishuu Uchiha."

"Well, yeah, but…. You're my aunt and uncle, aren't you?"

"Technically, I'm your cousin," Anna corrects with a smile.

"Yeah, but why hasn't anyone told me about who my _parents _are? I mean, you haven't mentioned them, and I haven't asked, but I wanna _know_. And Auntie Anna, didn't you say you're from a different world? How are we related, then?"

"Didn't the Hokage tell you anything at all?" Sasuke asks.

"Nah," replies Aishuu. "Naruto only told me about my aunt…."

"Natalie, you mean?" Anna smiles.

"Yeah, I think so."

"So you want to know about your mom and dad, huh?" says Sasuke, looking through a bookshelf. "Your mom…. I loved her…. And your dad…. My brother…."

"I figured out the part about him being your brother," says Aishuu.

"Yes, well…." Anna and Sasuke glance at one another, and both of them smile. "Aishuu, I believe it's time to read you a story."

"A story? Ooh, okay!"

Sasuke smiles at him and leafs through the pages until he finds one that's written on, and sits down. "Extended Vacation, it's called. Prologue." He pauses, and his eyes are slightly nostalgic as he begins to read aloud, "'No!_' __I __called. __Then, __I __heard __footsteps. __Someone __was __running.__…_"


End file.
